


Awkward

by Aniya10Kumar



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-24
Updated: 2020-11-24
Packaged: 2021-03-09 20:02:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 17
Words: 148,414
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27691835
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aniya10Kumar/pseuds/Aniya10Kumar
Summary: What if the Boy-Who-Lived died the very moment He-Who-Shall-Be-Not-Named  rested his eyes on him ? What if the The Half-Blood Prince did what the little Harry  was destined to do ? What if The Dark Lord got killed BUT before resting in the slumber of death he did something no one expected or  witnessed till date ? What will The young Prince do ?A curse so strong and by no means unbreakable , that the Prince couldn't anyhow escape it .A curse that will force the Half- Blood Prince to do something that he don't want to or maybe he thinks he don't want to . How many lives will this curse affect ?The Half - Blood Prince is befuddled.Read to find out the rest.........
Relationships: Severus Snape/Original Female Character(s)
Kudos: 10





	1. Chapter - 1 The Battle

An icy cold wind blew past Severus, sending chills down his spine . He was breathing heavily, trying hard not to collapse on the snow beneath him . His energy was drained out; he was exhausted. But the battle was far from ended, at least that's what he thought .

The night was dark and menacing. Under the moonlight, his pale skin, which looked even more dreadful due to his battle scars, shone . His black robes were soaked in his blood. He felt a tickle of unease . A drop of blood from the wound on his hand dripped onto the ground . The red spot of blood radiated against the white snow. The scene was unconventionally beautiful . 

His robes that were always perfect, were covered with dirt and his own blood . His black cloak lay blowing on the white snow . A Slashing spell had wounded him badly on his broad , muscular chest , his long legs, and even his long torso . The icy cold winds felt like a hundred scorpions stinging him repeatedly , causing him unbearable pain . 

But he had to stand against the very demon he had been previously serving.

Harry Potter had been killed by Lord Voldemort in his crib, and now the Wizarding world needed someone to save it from the darkest wizard ever born. But what no one could have ever thought, was the fact that their savior would be Severus Snape , the former Death Eater who was sent to spy at Hogwarts by the Dark Lord himself . The young and loyal Death Eater had turned against his master, but nobody knew the reason for him doing so, and nobody cared to know the reason either . At the present moment, everyone's main concern was the annihilation of the Dark Lord and his army of Death Eaters . 

The image of The Dark Lord in front of Severus got blurry at times due to the weakness his body felt . The Dark lord was also getting weaker as the moments passed, he could sense it . Severus was always able to read his mind . Albus and Minerva had been successful in their mission. They had destroyed all the Horcruxes . Now it was just Nagini who was left to be killed . Hagrid and Filius had successfully kept her away from Severus , Albus and Minerva, but she needed to be killed by the sword of Godric Gryffindor, which was with Minerva . He hoped she would also die soon, eventually killing The Dark Lord.

The Death Eaters were greeted well by the Ministry fighters, so they weren’t a threat while Severus was facing the Dark Lord himself . 

"Sectumsempra, " Severus managed to mumble despite not being in a condition to even stand properly . The Dark Lord fell on his knees on the ground that was covered by snow in the Cabalistic Forest . The Dark Lord didn't show any defensive reflexes nor did he throw any spell towards him. It was clear that Nagini was also in life threatening danger, causing the Dark Lord to weaken to the extent he had. 

A sound took his attention away from the heat of that moment. Suddenly, he realized the sound had come from the bushes near where he was standing . The jostling sound became louder in the blink of the eye ,when suddenly he saw a figure emerging from the bushes--the figure of a snake . It was Nagini . Severus was too weak to react and save himself from her vicious attack, so he decided to close his eyes and greet death with acceptance. It was in that moment that he realized death had also accepted him . He heard a clashing sound and a thud, then came another voice. It felt to him as if he had fallen on the ground . He took a deep breath . 

"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!" 

The sound of screaming tugged him out of his presumed slumber of death . His eyes shot open to find Nagini's cut-off head at his feet, and blood from her body all over the snow beneath his feet. The blood infused in the snow the way ink spread on the cloth . Minerva was standing close to him, panting with the sword of Godric Gryffindor in her hand with a panting Albus a little behind her . The sword shone brightly under the moonlight , the venomous blood of the deceased snake dripping off it onto the ground covered with snow . The venom possessed by her was so perilous that it left burn marks on the snow where it had fallen, turning the snow coal black .

A soft sound of mumbling grabbed their attention. When they shot a glance at the almost-dead Dark Lord, he was still on his knees like Severus had seen him as he had cast the Sectumsempra spell upon him, but now Voldemort’s wand was pointed towards him. The Dark Lord mumbled something in agony, inaudible , and a wave of blue light flew out of his wand, taking the shape of a snake, but it was nothing like Nagini. It was rather a very beautifully carved Patronus of a snake with large eyes and a very precisely scaled body . The snake which formed high above the ground, it's body doing a dancing motion in the open sky, suddenly shot a glance at him, and the hissing words poured out as its thin mouth opened.   
" haaaaaahayaeehesseytha haahasseeyssss hassesseythahasseyssssseythassssssaah sssseythaayaeeh aayaassssehhhaaahhasseeyaayaaseyythaasssseytha hassseyythaa hassseyythaaehhsssseythehhh hatheeeyseethaaaayaeeh aayaasssseytha haaaaaasssssssseytha sssseythaayaeeh hassayayahssssehhhssss aayaaseyythas haaaaaahayaeehesseythahasseey hathehhayaahassayssss. " 

All of them were dumbfounded , not a single word could be comprehended. It was Parseltongue, and none of them knew that language . Hagrid and Filius were now out of the bushes, standing with Albus and Minerva . No one uttered a word , no one knew what to do, and no one knew what the Patronus was . All of them were great magicians, but they never saw a spell like that, so it was clear they didn't know if it was a life threatening spell or a normal Patronus . 

The snake was staring at Severus, it's expression masked . Suddenly it started flying higher , it's fluid and wavy motion made his movement look like a dance . After dancing like that for a while, it turned towards him, flying straight into his chest . Nothing happened. He didn't feel a single tickle in his body . The misty Patronus had collided with his chest and turned into a cloud of blue mist around his body. Just like cold wind, it touched him, but unlike wind, he felt like it penetrated through his chest . 

The Patronus of the snake flew out from his back, flying high in sky . The sudden act made Minerva, who was standing close to him, take a step back. A fearful expression cam upon all their faces . They feared he was being hexed to death by the dying Dark Lord, or even worse, he was possessed by him , but nothing happened. He didn't look possessed, neither did he utter a word . 

Minerva went to him. 

"Severus, " she whispered softly to him. Neither did he flinched nor did he said anything . He looked around and saw people who fought with him. The ones he never cared about were standing up for him, endangering their lives for him who never cared to even ask how they were doing. He was so busy with his own plight that he forgot that he wasn't the only one with whom life hadn’t been fair . Finally, weakness overtook him, and he fell on his knees in the blood-stained snow underneath him . 

Minerva , Albus , Hagrid , and Filius came running towards him . His wand fell out of his hands, but before he could fall on the ground flat, Hagrid got a grip on him . He could feel the Half – giant’s hand holding him protectively . Before collapsing further, he looked in the sky, but the Patronus had vanished into oblivion .

"What just happened ?' he managed to utter before falling unconscious completely . 

On the other side of the open field, the Dark Lord screamed in agony as his wand fell from his lifeless hands on the ground . As time passed his body turned into dust and he died a long death, suffering immeasurable amount of pain . Now nothing was left. All parts of his soul were destroyed, and his very own faithful Death Eater stood in front of him to battle . All for a woman who never had loved him .

ልረልክ

Darkness surrounded Severus. He felt alone. It was the first time in the last four years that he had felt alone. Usually, his job of being a double agent kept him so busy that sometimes even Lily had escaped his mind .

Lily had died, and he hadn’t been able to do anything to stop the Dark Lord. How pathetic . He felt helpless. He didn't know what the Dark Lord had done to him . He wasn't possessed, and he felt relieved about that fact, but then what was it that he had done to him? What did the Patronus of the snake speak in Parseltongue? It bothered him . 

He wasn't sure for how many hours, or even days, he was in that darkness all alone by himself . 

But the isolation gave him a lot of time to think , to acknowledge every mistake he had ever committed. It gave him time to realize that he was a young man of 21. Albus had showed trust in him; he cared for him; he had a chance to live his life again. The Dark Lord was no more; he was free. Albus promised him freedom when Dark Lord died. He could live a life. A normal life again, maybe. 

A sound came from somewhere. He couldn't tell from which direction the sound came . Suddenly, he felt he was in an ocean. A deep , dark , black ocean . He felt restricted. He couldn't move. It felt like he was tied by an invisible rope . He was deep down at the bottom of the ocean when he felt hands--feminine hands--wrapped around his body so protectively, giving him the sense of security that no one in this world could hurt him anymore . 

At first, he thought it would be Lily, but no, there was a beautiful young girl . He couldn't see her face in the darkness, but as she was pulling him up towards the surface of the ocean, he felt the beam of sunrays fall upon them . Her skin was radiant under the sunlight, even when darkness surrounded them . Her face was not visible due to the hair covering it, but her eyes shone in the light of the sun . Beautiful . Her eyes were beautiful . But who was she? 

He never saw a girl with eyes like those , so mesmerizing and mysterious. Her eyes were also black like his, but not cold like his. Warmth, curiosity and fun spilled from those eyes, making him feel good . He liked the feeling . But yet again the thought struck him as to who she was ? He was so busy wondering about that girl that he didn't realize he was on the surface of the water and the girl was nowhere around him . Where had she gone so quickly? Who was she? His hands weren't tied anymore, but he still hadn’t recovered from the fact that a girl had saved him, and now she was nowhere to be found . 

She vanished into oblivion just like the Patronus of the snake had .

__________________

This was the first chapter . I hope I was able to justify myself with my words . This story is very complex so please do read it till the end . The next part will be published soon .

One more thing, there is no Harry Potter , Hermione Granger, or Ron Wesley in this story . And my Severus Snape is a little bit different from the books . Read to find out how he is in this story .


	2. Chapter - 2 The Convalescence

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What is Severus Snape thinking now that he doesn't own anyone anything. Now that he is free from all the promises. What will he do ?

" Severus, " A thick voice came out of the haze. 

He realized he was no longer in a dark ocean but lying on a bed. 

" Severus are you awake ? " the thick voice continued. " Oh my God, you, young wizard, scared us , we thought you wouldn't survive You - Know – Who, but… "  
Albus paused to collect his thoughts and choose the correct wording. 

" Severus, you always amaze me as to how good a young wizard can be, " Albus spoke softly to the man lying on the hospital bed . 

Severus opened his thin lips to speak, but Albus indicated him to stay quiet and rest. 

" No, you must not strain your body much. You have already strained it enough in the past and during the war. " 

A tear fell from Albus' eyes as the last words poured out of his mouth . He cleared his throat and spoke with utter sincerity. 

" Severus, now that you have killed the Dark Lord, you fulfilled your promise to be at my side during the war. " He paused. " So, now it's my turn to fulfill my promise; from now on you shall no longer owe me anything ." The last words came out of Albus' mouth without hesitation. He was serious . 

"Thank you, Albus, " he weakly mumbled as a tear rolled down his cheek. 

Albus leaned in to hear him more clearly . 

" Not only me, but the whole wizarding community is thankful to you. I owe you a lot, my young friend," Albus replied with thankfulness clearly evident in his voice . 

"What was that the Dark Lord did to me before dying ?" Severus mumbled in the same weak voice . He was tired. It was clear to him he had not completely recovered yet . He couldn't see anything clearly; his vision was blurry . 

"We don't know that yet, but I have summoned many great scholars to know what that spell was, " Albus said with concern. " No one has ever seen a spell like that before , and to our astonishment, it didn't have a single effect on your health , mind or body, " he continued . 

Albus let out a small sigh. It felt as if a big burden was lifted off his shoulders . " Well, you passed out on the battlefield after defeating the Dark Lord. Hagrid carried you all the way back," he continued with a little giggle trying to lighten the topic. " You’ve been here unconscious for four days,” he related. 

Severus’ head felt heavy . His mobility was still restricted and his vision became even blurrier. Again the darkness surrounded him .

His eyes blinked. He felt that he was awake. His head felt less heavy, and the pain had also been reduced . He looked around. No one was sitting by his side. The room was dark and much smaller compared to the hospital wing. He turned his neck to take a look around. It was then he realized he was no longer in the hospital wing but rather was in a comfortable room . It seemed to be a personal chamber with big windows so maximum sunlight could enter. A red couch was to his right and a coffee table was placed near it next to the fireplace above which was a big bookcase . There were also many portraits of great wizards and witches . 

The smell of the room was very refreshing. It smelled of old books , of smoke , fresh made tea, and a perfume he couldn't recognize . This room was unlike his own , a boring room with no portraits , no windows and there was also the continuous smell of potions . He hadn’t made a separate room for a lab in his chambers. All of his equipment would lie in his living room, kitchen, and even his bedroom . 

One could also call his room dull and sadistic . Of course, why wouldn't one call it that? His chambers had no life . One would rather call it a coffin than a room. It was hard to believe a person had been living there for four years . 

He sighed to himself .

There was one more decision he made. He would make his chamber look lived in , not like a coffin where vampires slept . He would change his perilous life habits. Quitting drinking was the first one of those . He drank so much sometimes, that he couldn't get up in the morning, lying all day in his bed with headaches from hangovers. 

These thoughts got him so occupied that he lost the track of time . It was the sound of a door opening that tugged him out of his thoughts. An elderly woman stepped in with a tray . It was Minerva . 

“Oh, Severus, you woke up," she exclaimed softly in surprise. 

She placed the tray on the coffee table and softly walked to the bed . " How are you feeling now, Severus ? " she asked .   
"Much better, " he replied.

It no longer strained his body to look around or speak . His body felt stronger than before . While trying to sit up to have a talk with her, pain stung his shoulder. He growled . Minerva helped him with sitting up , placing a cushion behind his back to give support to him . He looked around the room to get a more clear view . Looking outside the window, he saw the moon in the sky. It was clear that it was night . 

Minerva had brought food for him. Taking the plate from the tray, she placed it on the side table with a glass of pumpkin juice . He cleared his throat and asked her, " Where am I, Minerva ?" 

"Oh ! You are in my chambers. I thought you wouldn’t like being in the hospital ward surrounded by people bothering you by asking about the Dark Lord , so I asked Albus to shift you here instead, " she replied . 

She was amazed by the fact that he was in pain and has just woke up, but then also he acquitted a great aggregate of self awareness. he carried with him . 

Minerva handed him the dinner plate with sausage, beacon , toast , and beans placed in it . He had his dinner in silence with Minerva on the couch near the fire place, giving him updates of all the things that had happened while he was in slumber, recuperating. 

He listened in silence , but his mind was not completely there . A fragment of his mind was still ruminating about those eyes: mysterious , angelic , alluring, and soul-abducting black eyes . He felt bewitched . 

"Well, Severu,s you seem to be in deep thought. I think I should leave you alone, " Minerva said with a chuckle , but her soft voice tugged him out of his intense thoughts. 

" A House-elf is always at your service, just call out for Becky, " she continued as she approached the door . 

"Oh ! It’s not like that, Minerva. I just wanted to ..." he took a pause , probing for the correct words. " You know that I have an undying gratitude for you deep inside my heart ." His cavernous voice distinctly laid bare the sincerity in his statement. 

"No, Severus , what I did is nothing compared to your act of bravery. The gratitude is ours " she said. " Now get some rest and recover quickly, people are desperate to see their savior, " she continued with a little chuckle . 

"I am no hero, Minerva. You know that, " he replied in a tone devoid of any expression. 

Minerva was about to close the door behind her, but when his words fell on her ears she suddenly froze . Only two thoughts stuck in her mind, either he was being utterly modest or he regretted something . She turned opening the door wide. 

" Your level of modesty is exorbitant ,you know that, Severus?" she said with a feigned chuckle .

He looked up at her , his coal black eyes met her green orbs. He was not joking, she could read that in his eyes. Sadness was discernible on his face . She understood what thoughts his mind processed . Walking towards the bed, she sat on the chair kept adjacent to the bed. She looked straight into his coal-black eyes. 

It felt to him like she was staring straight at his soul . 

" Severus, " she started softly, " bad things happen with everyone, but that does not mark the end of life . And not every bad thing that happened to you was because of your mistakes . For Merlin's sake, stop blaming yourself for every bad thing, " she continued in a solicitous tone . 

" But nothing has happened in my life that I could say was good, " he interjected. 

Minerva was horrified by his revelation, but she couldn't deny it, he was correct after all . Nothing good had happened to her former student - now - colleague . An ignored childhood , a bullied teenager , a dark start of his adult life… how could she expect a metamorphosed man, especially after these pathetic past 8 months? He was just a young man, after all . A young man of 21 . Still, she shot him with an opprobrium glance . She couldn't let her emotions overcome her . In the grimmest of times, someone needed to stay strong, and she couldn't expect that from Severus , at least not right now . 

She let out a little sigh . Standing up from the chair to leave, she spoke. 

" You are not wrong, Severus , but things change with time, and you are young and have a whole life in front of you , so just don’t waste it mourning over Lily like you wasted the last four years of your life ." 

She didn't glance at him this time. She was afraid he would get enraged at the mention of Lily . Quickly, she walked out the door, shutting it behind her . 

Dumbfounded . Severus found himself dumbfounded after hearing what Minerva had said . She was right . He did mourn over a woman who never understood his feelings for her. To her, he was only someone who helped her with her studies and nothing else . When had she ever come to talk to him , or ask what was going on in his life ? 

He placed his head softly on the pillow and faced the celling . 

He had always made his decisions quickly , and mostly they had been all right except for those decisions he’d made while lamenting over Lily . 

But one cannot always be correct , he acknowledged the fact to himself . 

He lost track of time, he was so deep in thought about all of that.

The creaking sound of a door opening tugged him out of his thoughts yet again . A small creature appeared from behind the door . It was a House - elf . 

" Hello, Master Snape, " the creature said in a timidly sweet tone. " Betty thought Master would be in need of something, so Betty came to have a look, " she continued with her thin voice, which was unconventionally soothing. 

"Well, I am fine, Betty, thanks for the concern, " he replied . 

His tone and words astonished him . He had never spoken so politely to anyone else ever before . The war had surely changed him. He’d gone against his master and joined the people who he was supposed to hate. But the thing that had pompous him the most was the trust--the trust these people showed in him and when he aphorism all of them standing with him, somewhere his heart melted . 

He would have considered himself dead if had resisted that, too . ' Perhaps it requires depths of oppression to create such heights of character, ' he recalled the saying of a Muggle revolutionary. Perhaps that Muggle was right .

"Betty should leave Master. Master needs rest. Master can call Betty anytime he wants, " the House - elf said while approaching the door, bowing low. 

"Can you do me a favor, Betty ? " he asked the House - elf ." Actually, two " he said with a smirk on his lips .

"Anything for Master, " the House - elf replied timidly.

" Call me Severus, because I am not your master, and please answer my one question, " he said softly 

Flabbergasted by his assertion the House - elf was left open mouthed . Although Betty was the most healthiest House - elf he had ever seen but It was never asked by a master to call them by their name. Severus could clearly comprehend that by the expression that was on the House-elf’s face . 

" Master, that is ... disrespectful. Master is a great man. Calling Master by his name is disrespectful, " the little figure mumbled more to itself .

" But I didn't do anything great, " Severus said calmly.

" No, Master is a brave man. Master killed The - One - Who - Shall - Not - Be – Named. " Horror crept up into the creature's voice when The Dark Lord's name poured out of it's lips .

Severus let out a little sigh. He acknowledged the fact that it was futile arguing with the elf as to whether he was a hero or not .

"Can you answer me one question?" he said arduously, changing the topic .

" Of course, Master, " the timid reply came, but it's voice showed fear of another intricate favor like that.

" Can we control our life and live it the way we want ? " he asked after a great deal of searching for his words . 

"With all due respect, Master, Betty would say life is uncontrollable. The more Master will try to control, it the more it will slip out of Master's hand. Master, sometimes it is good to do what life wants and not questioning it . It makes living easier, Master ."

The little House - elf had chosen it's words with utter sincerity. that laid bare in his divulgence. For a moment, Severus was speechless. Unequivocally, the House - elf was correct . Surely, life was uncontrollable . What was there that he was able to sway ? He hadn’t been able to stop his father from beating him , neither had he been able to save his dying mother . The Marauders had bullied him, and he was always defenseless . Had he been able to get himself out of the Death Eater muck he had gotten himself into? No . Then why he did he want to control things out of his league? he argued to himself . 

This train of thought didn't feel weird to him. It was time to converse with himself and make choices, but with the hope of no future sorrows . 

On Seeing his master quite busy with his own thoughts, little Betty decided to leave his master alone . As it was about to shut the door, a deep , alluring voice fell on his ears. " Thanks, Betty. " 

It was the voice of his master, who had glanced at Betty and gave him a weak but warm smile . 

" Anything for master, " the timid reply fell from his mouth as the door shut behind its back . 

Again, he was alone, but somewhere deep inside of him he didn't fear what would come next , which he had always done before facing the Dark Lord. Instead he would abide it with open arms . The abysmal thoughts tired him, and he drifted into a profound slumber in no time, remaining in the exact position he had been sitting--leaning on the pillow behind him . He hadn't recovered fully yet .


	3. Chapter - 3 The Curse of the Fobbiden Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What was the curse ?

Severus ,

Meet me in my office; there’s something important to be discussed . 

Albus 

Severus marched out of his classroom at once after reading the Floo message sent through by Albus .

"Class is being dismissed fifteen minutes earlier, but that by no means signifies that you are free to do any of your idiotic explorations . I want an essay on the Elixir of Lucid Dreams potion on my desk the first thing tomorrow when you enter the class," he briskly instructed the fifth-years about their task as he approached the door . His gestures discernibly indicated that he was in a hurry and desperately wanted to know what was so important . 

He hadn’t changed a bit when inside the classroom . He was still the grumpy , unpleasant , greasy-haired dungeon master, but outside the class the case was a bit divergent. He greeted other teachers whenever he crossed paths with them; he greeted student too, to their amazement . Still, he kept mostly to himself, but now, he didn’t act like his previous self whom people had no idea about. People got an idea of what his true identity was: a young man who had made mistakes and had the courage to acknowledge and fix them. 

One year , five months , twenty-seven days , sixteen hours , forty-eight minutes and thirty-three seconds had passed since the war, and people were still recovering from it . Albus made a serious decision to reopen the school seven months ago, and it had helped out quiet a bit. Life was getting back on track again for everyone except for Severus. People saw him as a war hero, which felt weird to him. He was no war hero, after all . 

The Daily Prophet celebrated his story more than his actual existence--why wouldn't they? After all, they got such an intricate and juicy story to publish after a long time . 

Nobody except Albus , Minerva , Hagrid, and Filius knew about the spell the Dark Lord had cast on him and that fact relieved him. He hadn’t wanted any more spotlight upon him now . But it still bothered him that he didn’t know what the spell was or what it had done to him because nothing had happened to him still. He was still very much alive and healthy . 

But one thing still bothered him. Those eyes… to whom did those eyes belong? His heart pounded a little every time those eyes appeared in front of his black orbs . He didn't know why that happened with him . 

So much into his thoughts, he almost walked past Albus' room . Saying the password, he very patiently waited and walked in briskly . The room was quite the same. Nothing had changed about it. Albus liked keeping it simple and placid . 

Albus was sitting at his desk as always. Minerva , Hagrid, and Filius were also there, standing by the fireplace with worried looks on their faces. But another lady was also there, seated on the chair in front of Albus, sipping a cup of tea . She was a middle-aged woman, around 55 , wearing a knee-length black dress wrapped around her body . Looking at her emerald green eyes, he could see she was lost in thought . Her grey hair was neatly tied into a bun behind her head . She exuded a thick aura of elegance. Giving him a warm and welcoming glance, she smiled at him . He gave a nod in response . 

Clearing his throat, he formally acknowledge Albus, " You called for me, Headmaster? " 

A serious expression came over Albus’ face. Severus could sense that something was not right; he could no longer see the twinkle in the old man's eyes . 

"Well, Severus, thanks for coming," Albus replied in a tone devoid of any expression . "You are aware of the fact that what happened to you on the night of the battle is unfamiliar to any of us. The spell he used was beyond our knowledge to this day. " He paused, collecting his thoughts. " As I have told you earlier, I informed many scholars regarding the spell, but even they were unaware of it, but this sweet lady, Ms . Angelina, seems to know what that spell was, " he continued .

Severus almost jumped in his place. He had searched for the meaning of the spell. The look on the lady's face abashed him . 

An awkward silence came over the room. No one uttered a word. Actually, no one knew what to say.

"So , Mr. Snape, I am Rose Angelina, but you can just call me Angelina . I am a spell scholar working for the Ministry . Mr. Dumbledore wrote to me about the spell a year ago, and I researched it. The knowledge I gained is very intricate and knotty ." She spoke in an elegant manner. 

She had decided to break the silence and let Severus know his fate because nothing could be done to change it . He shot a perturbed glance at her . 

She let out a narrow sigh and continued, " This spell has a connection with my own family, and it has only been used once around 1200 years ago ." 

He was shocked by that fact, and did nothing to mask it .

"It would be good for you to tell Severus directly what the spell is and what it did to him," Albus interjected as he saw the startled look on Severus’ face . 

"So, Mr. Severus," she continued in the same soft and elegant tone, " this is an imprinting curse. That means it will forcefully make you imprint upon someone, and you will be forced to love them till your very last breath. " She spat out the details without any hesitation . " But one more thing, Mr. Severus, you will not imprint on the one of your choice, but someone who is the choice of the spell caster, " she told him.

"Twelve hundred years ago, a member of my family named Rogan Barks fell madly in love with a woman, but the woman didn't reciprocate his feelings . A mighty wizard was he . He created the Forbidden curse and used it on the woman. It forced her to love someone, but not him . Instead, she fell in love with a monster of a man , and there was nothing she could do to stop it. Eventually, she died a sad death after ending the sufferings of her life . Since then, it became known as the Curse of Forbidden Love and nobody has cast it until now because it needs the very last of your living energy, " she related to them as sadness crept into her voice . 

He fell onto the chair nearest him . What ! Mourning an impossible love again for my whole life . Oh, Merlin, what bad did I do?, he thought to himself . First Lily now someone he didn’t even know. 

Why me ? He thought to himself .

"Severus, it's not your fault. " He felt Minerva's hand on his shoulder . 

Holy jinxes ! He had said all that aloud .

His mind felt numb to him. He couldn't think anymore; he felt dumbfounded .

"Can anything be done to alter this ....?" he mumbled weakly, more to himself than anything.

"Yes , but I am not sure if it would work or not, " she replied , her voice sounded perturbed. " I have dealt with spells that were very complicated , but this is something different. It has only been used once, well now twice, and no one know who you will imprint upon, " she continued.

"But to do anything, I need a piece of your body, probably a thread of hair will do fine. One that has been touched by the Patronus of the snake. Then I can try and choose a suitable person for you to imprint upon. " Darkness filled her eyes . 

"You can do that? " Minerva exclaimed softly .

"As I said, I am not sure if I can, but my heritage allows me to reverse the curse. so maybe I can give it a try, " Angelina replied in a tone devoid of expression . 

Still in horror by the words that had poured out of the mouth of the lady, Severus couldn't move. It felt to him like he was paralyzed . 

"I think we should give Ms. Angelina a chance to try to amend this curse, " Albus spoke, breaking the unbearable silence in the room. 

Severus nodded his head, dumbfounded . 

The lady rose from her place, and with the wave of her wand , a thread of his hair was in her hand . So thunderstruck by the knowledge of what the curse meant, he didn't even feel the pain of the hair being plucked . 

He got up from his couch and almost ran towards the Dungeons, not in a mood to entertain anyone now . Down in his own chamber, he didn't know what to do, so he did what he thought was best He created a mess because he had done so first with his own life, and now his room was the next victim . Throwing things , he tore off the exquisite green wall paper , shredding the sheets to oblivion and breaking the oak furniture . His room was a complete wreck . Ink from his ink pot had been splashed all over the shredded green wallpaper . He was breathing heavily . 

"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa" he screamed at the top of his lungs, and tangled his long ,pale fingers in the sheet if raven black hair , all out of frustration . He wanted to end it all --end his life and stop the suffering. He couldn't handle it anymore . Determined to do so, he took a piece of shattered glass from the ink pot to cut his wrist and bleed to death .

"Ending your own life will only accomplish what the curse of the Dark Lord seeks to do, Severus, " Albus' voice came from behind his back . 

He turned and shot a glance at the old man . He stood at the door, ignoring the wreck Severus had made . 

Severus felt warm tears rolling down his cheeks . Falling on the floor, he pressed his long legs against his chest and wrapped his lean arms around them . Sobbing , he sat there silently for what seemed like eternity . 

" Severus, we promise to do whatever it takes to help you, " Albus said, as if declaring war . 

"Why me ....?" he mumbled weakly. " Why does it always have to be me ....?"

" Because God has given you the strength to withstand it. " Albus' reply helped him a little . 

A thick silence took over the room, neither of them tried to break it . But then Albus spoke with a sigh. 

" Severus, whatever comes your way , either a solution or not, you will find Minerva and me by your side; I promise you that . "


	4. Chapter - 4 The Ceremony

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Who is the one that Severus Snape will imprint ?

The hall stood in complete silence as the sorting ceremony commenced. Applause filled the silence of the hall only when the houses of the students were revealed by the grumpy Sorting Hat . 

Severus Snape looked at the faces of all the young and innocent first-year students: surprised , amazed , scared and somewhat baffled by the mystic aura of the Wizardry school . 

Among them stood a girl a bit taller than the rest of them. A lean figure was distinguishable from beneath her robes. She had a short round face with raven hair neatly tied in a ponytail behind her head and large , black-rimmed spectacles gently placed on top of her small , perfect nose . 

She was perfect for a young lady, but no one could call her a breathtaking beauty . Elegant was the perfect word to describe the way she carried herself . He noticed her, but what he didn't notice was that she was looking back at him too, and a sweet , warm and gentle smile played upon her light-pink lips . 

He was baffled by her smile. Girls did try to flirt with him a little due to his war hero status, but he always ignored their actions, but her elegant smile somewhat distracted him, and he felt that it wasn't a flirting gesture . Somewhere deep-down he didn't want to ignore her, so he did something that people would say was very un-Snape; He smiled back . 

" Barclay , Seraphina, " Minerva announced, and he was drawn out of his thoughts. She was the only one left to be sorted now , as she was the only transfer student that year . The girl walked towards the stool and sat in a very refined manner .

"A Barclay... after a long time, though, " the hat started in his grumpy tone which sounded more like a clogged gutter . " La famille des surdoués ... bravery is your habit ... loyalty flows in your veins... cunning enough to baffle even a Slytherin... but intelligence is your first precedence , curiosity has driven the sleep out of you , impressive ... Ravenclaw! " 

The girl clearly blushes at all the compliments the sorting hat had said about her . 

"Thanks for the compliments, Mr. Sorting Hat. " The girl spoke in the same discerning manner in which she carried herself . Well, no one ever before had thanked the Hat, and that made Professor Flitwick grin proudly . 

Thud, the wooden doors of the Great Hall swung open, but no one was one the other side . The girl just stood up from the stool and, like everyone else in the hall, she was startled by the act . Only then, a giant Patronus of a snake emerged from nowhere . Severus felt numb in his place. it was the same Patronus that had cursed him, but it wasn't only him who was dismayed, but the same expression had come over the girl’s face --the new Ravenclaw . 

"Sssseythaaassss ssseyaaaayaassssehhhssss seethahaasssseytha hassayayahssssehhhssss sssseyaaseethaaahaassssryaaa sssseyaaseethaaasss ssssehhhayaeehseyythaasssseythasssseyaasssshusseey ayeaehhassaay ssssehhhhaaseyythaa ayaahathseyythaayaeehhatheeeyssssaytha hatheeeyseethaaaayaeehssssehhh seethassss sssseythaseethaaahaahathehhhhathehhh aayaassssehhhaaahhasseeyaayaaseyythaasssseytha, " the Patronus hissed in a tone devoid of any expression . 

" Hatheeeyseethaaaayaeeh sssseythaseethaaahaahathehhhhathehhh aayaassseyaa ethaassss ssseyaaseethaaassssseyytha, " someone else hissed in Parseltongue . Aghast, everyone looked up to figure out from where the hissing was coming, and it was her—the girl , the new Ravenclaw . Her expression were illegible and toned . It felt like she was bewitched by the snake . 

" Aayaassseyaasssseytha haaaaaahayaeehesseytha haaseythaaehhhathehhhssss " the Patronus hissed as it leapt and passed through her chest in the similar way it went through Severus', forming a blanket of blue mist around her . 

Minerva was taken aback by what had just happened again in front of her eyes . Before anyone could take command of the situation, the girl vanquished , running down the center of the Great Hall, the unreadable expressing still overshadowing her face . 

"It's better that we all proceed to the dorms after this very unexplainable event this evening,” Albus advised as he stood . “Good night, and I expect the Perfects to escort the first-year students to their dorms, and the teachers please stay back as some discussions are necessary." 

Albus took command of things quickly as everyone left the hall except for the teachers who were all gathered around the staff table . Albus asked the other teachers to take their leave and assured them that Minerva , Severus , Hagrid, Filius, and he could manage things perfectly on their own.

" Correct me if I am wrong; that was the same Patronus, " Minerva , Filius all blurted out at the same time .

" Yes, it surely was, " Albus replied calmly .

" So, the girl knows Parseltongue and is involved in the curse, " Minerva stated.

" Yes, but she is not the part of the curse. She is the one the curse has chosen for Severus to imprint upon, " Albus declared .

"How do you know that ?" Filius asked out of curiosity .

" Ms. Angelina wrote me a letter telling about the curse, and she predicted exactly what happened here, " he replied.

An awkward silence took over the five of them . Severus was still in his chair , numb and deep in thought . 

"So, the Dark Lord has chosen a 16 year-old schoolgirl for me to forcefully love, " Severus broke the silence . A dark expression was on his face . In his eyes there was something more dreadful than death itself . 

"But she is not a normal 16 year-old school-girl Severus. " Albus defended the young Ravenclaw . " You heard what the Sorting hat said about her, didn’t you ?"

The Sorting hat... Albus was correct, the Sorting hat had never complimented someone to that extent . He almost declared her a perfect blend of all houses, Severus thought to himself . 

"Yes, I did, but no matter what anyone says, she is just a 16 year-old girl who's not even graduated, Albus. " He tried to growl, but it didn't come out the way he expected it. He wound up feeling awkward and silly .

"She is a school graduate; she graduated from her Muggle school a month and a half back, " Albus informed him .

"Can you please stop defending that girl for once, Albus ! What is it? Do you owe her something? " This time he growled successfully .

"No, I don't owe her anything. It's just that she is an amazing child, and you should understand that, Severus, " Albus said with a chuckle .

"Listen now, Severus , whatever you say and think, it doesn't matter anymore. Now she is your present and your future . You can accept her happily or sadly; it all depends upon you . So, it's better to accept her and move on with your life. Make it less painful for yourself and that adolescent girl, Severus," Albus said in sedate manner .

Severus didn't knew what to feel right then . He was incensed , offended , bewildered, and God knew what else by everything that had happened . He had lived a decent life since the war nine years back and had conjured up a good reputation and aura, but what now? What would people think about him? --That the Potions Master lusted after a 16 year-old schoolgirl ? And what would that elegant looking Ravenclaw think about him ? Maybe she would lose that warmth she had shown towards him and think of him as a pervert who lusted after her . 

"The girl is not in her dorm. As the portraits tell me so. We should go and look for Seraphina. " 

Albus' words tugged him out of his ocean of thoughts, and he noticed him coming back in the hall . 

Wait, when had he left in the first place . Oh God, I need to think a little less . 

" Ok, " everyone replied in unison.

"I'll go look in the Forbidden Forest and on the grounds, " Hagrid said first .

" I’ll go look in the west wing, " Minerva added .

" I’ll search the north and east wing. " Albus joined Minerva .

" I'll go with south, then, " Filius added with a concerned tone. He surely was concerned about his new Ravenclaw .

"I'll search the Dungeons and leave the forest for me, Hagrid. You already have the extensive grounds for yourself, " Severus added dryly .

Everyone set off for their locations. Severus almost ran to the Dungeons, he wanted to meet the Ravenclaw and ask what that Patronus had hissed. It was killing him to know . He looked through the whole Dungeon for her, but she was nowhere to be found . No Patronus came for him to alert him that the others had found her either. So, he decided to go for the Fobbiden Forest . 

The stale air in the dark Dungeon had been putrid, but it was dark and menacing out in the forest. Why would a girl like her even think of coming here to be alone? The raven black wand was tightly gripped in his hands, ready for defense and attack . He strolled for about 15 minutes without success, when he heard the sound of growling . It sounded so despairing, exasperated and angry. 

He stepped towards the sound. As he approached, he was confident that it was the little Ravenclaw, but the sight he was greeted by made him pity her . It was dark, but he was able to distinguish her body cocooned in a small ball , a rusted ring in one hand and a tear slowly rolling down her cheek as she continued growling but in a soft gentle tone.

" You always said I was attracted to eccentricity, but why is it always something weird happens with me only? Like, for once, can't I have normal choices and normal interests in life? For once could something weird not happen when I arrive somewhere? " she wasn't sobbing but despondency filled her voice. 

He couldn't stand to see the misery of the elegant Ravenclaw anymore, so he decided to interrupt. 

"Coming to the Forbidden Forest without informing anyone nor having a legitimate reason, and causing huge distress among the teachers can cost you a lot of house points, Miss ..." Snape said in a soft tone. He didn't want to threaten her and increase her sorrows now . 

"Oh..." Seraphina gasped. She had been so deep within her thoughts that she hadn’t noticed the black figure approach her. As she was tugged back to reality by that someone . She quickly straightened herself and brushed off her clothes to face the man who had brought her back to reality . The tall figure stood in front of her, towering over her. 

She felt even smaller. 

"Lumos," she whispered softly, and the tip of her wand illuminated, showering light around her . 

When the light fell on the face of the tall man who stood in front of her, she was taken aback. It was Severus Snape , the war hero about whom her mother had told her once. She had always had a longing to meet him in person and not just in the headlines of the Daily Prophet . But her circumstances caused her to freeze. He had seen her for the first time cocooned on the ground of the Forbidden Forest sobbing and growling to herself . Wow ! what a nice start of the year . 

She had been so buried in her thoughts that she had almost forgotten that a man was standing in front of her. When she collected her thoughts and payed attention to the man , she noticed a lean , tall man with a slender face. His eyes were deep black orbs and he had a long hooked nose which somehow looked good on his face. His thin lips were pursed together . He was handsome--an unconventional beauty, she thought to herself . 

"Would you mind telling me what happened in the Great Hall, and why you ran off to the forest Miss ..." he said softly in a deep , velvety voice which was sinfully attractive . 

"Oh... I am sorry for my behavior back in the Great Hall, Professor Snape; its just that what the Patronus of the snake said to me affected me a bit, and all I wanted was to be alone in solitude . Well, do you know from where the Patronus came and who send it ? Oh well, my name is Seraphina Barclay, Professor," she replied in a refined manner . 

"And what was it that the Patronus said to you, Miss Barclay ?" he asked hesitantly .

" It said 'you shall get imprinted upon by a monster of a man, angel' " a reply came from her timidly .

"And you know what he meant by that ?" 

" No, Professor, I have no idea what he meant by that. I just hope it was the pitiful joke of someone because I fear it would be hard to believe that . " she replied with uncertainty . 

She has no idea what has just been thrust upon her. Will she be able to spend her life with me? She is just sixteen. 

Well, the snake was correct, he was a monster of a man, after all. All those thoughts were flowing in his mind when her refined voice broke his train of thought, and he noticed the young Ravenclaw shivering from cold.

" Well, again I am sorry for my actions, Professor. I shouldn't have done it, but I just felt uncertain at the moment, and I did what felt the best. "

" Well, this act can't be ignored, but can be forgiven for sure, Miss Barclay, but for now I should escort you to the castle for you are shivering from the cold, " he replied softly yet sternly .

"Oh... I am fine, Professor, " she replied .

He took off his black cloak and wrapped it around her loosely, placing a hand on the small of her back to escort her to the castle . 

She was baffled by his act . What a gentleman, she thought to herself . She wrapped the cloak snugly around her to feel its warmth . 

"There was no need for this kind act, Professor, " she said, looking at his tall frame .

"Yes, of course there was, Miss Barclay. I can't let a young lady shiver in the cold, " he replied in a soft tone .

She let out a little chuckle . 

Severus eyed the girl. She had been shivering from cold and yet denied it. If there had been any other girl they would be flattered if I escorted them like this, he thought to himself .

He raised his wand, and a wave of light escaped it's top as the words poured out of his mouth " Expecto Patronum ." The wave took the form of a doe as it ran towards the castle.

"What was that for, Professor Snape ?" Seraphina asked in amazement .

"I was just informing the other teachers that I have found you and that I was bringing you back to the castle," he informed her .

" I shouldn't have done that. It caused everyone to worry, " she sadly mumbled to herself as she walked .

"You did what seemed right to you at the moment. If someone else had been in your place, they would have done the same or would have brought all the attention to themselves , so don't regret your decision. After all, what the snake said to you was horrifying. Sometimes solitude is the best thing," he said, trying to reassure her .

She let out a little sigh from her lips .

They reached Albus' office after what felt like 20 minutes . They talked a little while on the journey . As they both stood in front of the Headmaster's office, Severus spoke the password, " Lemon Drops. " 

Seraphina let out a little chuckle at the childish password. They climbed the stairs in silence, and as they reached the door, Severus softly knocked .

" Come in, " Albus' reply came from the other side . 

Severus held the door for Seraphina as she entered the large , warm room . There was an old looking man sitting at the Headmaster's desk , an old woman with a sharp face standing beside him , a goblin stood beside a half-giant who gave her a warm smile with an apologetic look on his face. She smiled back . 

"So, there you are my child. You just worried us all, " the old man said .

"I am sorry, Headmaster , I know I shouldn't have acted so immaturely. It caused you all such discomfort, " Seraphina said apologetically .

"No need to worry, Seraphina, the Patronus’ appearance baffled us, too, " Flitwick reassured her.

"It's fine, my child. Anyone would react in the same way, " Albus reassured her .

"Well, I hope you don't mind me asking a question, Headmaster ?" she asked hesitantly.

"Yes, of course, my child, go on ." 

"What happened back there in the Great Hall ? " she asked .

"It was just a small prank by our Poltergeist, Peeves, my child . He wanted to have some fun with the new students and you became his victim, Seraphina, " Albus said calmly. " We will inform the rest of the students about the prank Peeves played on you so they don't bother you, all right?" he continued .

"Oh... it's fine with me, Headmaster, " she replied, her refined tone continued .

Severus was baffled by Albus' reply. Why hadn’t he told her the truth? Why was he keeping such a delicate affair a secret from the one who would be affected by it the most?

" Now, Severus, I hope you don't mind escorting Seraphina to her dorm, " Albus asked him politely . Severus nodded .

Holding the door for her, he escorted her to the Ravenclaw dorm, and again he placed his hand gently on the small of her back . As they reached the Portrait of the Ravenclaw dorm he turned towards her and spoke softly. 

" I assume you don't know how to get the password to the room. It is the answer of the riddle the portrait will ask ." 

" Hmmmmm... an interesting password indeed, " commented Seraphina .

They both turned towards the bronze knocker . The eagle gazed at the pair standing in front of it before speaking in his deep , husky voice .

" What is a Slytherin doing in the Ravenclaw tower ?" 

" It's none of your concern, " snapped Severus .

The bronze eagle snorted at the disrespectful answer before turning towards the young girl . 

" I am made of magical lands. Sometimes I tell the truth, and sometimes I don't. What am I?" 

Seraphina breathed deeply before replying . Severus stood there next to her thinking of the answer. 

" A book, " they both said at the same moment . 

The door opened . Severus turned to leave when Seraphina's soft words stopped him.

" I am very thankful to you, Professor Snape, for finding me in the forest and helping me through the castle. " She paused as he turned to face her. " And for your warm cloak; it did helped me a lot, " she continued . 

She smiled warmly at him and with his cloak in her hand, she extended it towards him . He took the cloak from her hand and gave a slight nod. 

" No need to thank me for doing my duty, Miss Barclay. " He couldn't help it as a small smirk passed over his thin lips . 

" Well, can I have a proper handshake with you, Professor Snape ?" Seraphina asked. 

"Ummmm... Why, Miss Barclay ? " Severus asked with uncertainty .

"I just wanted to shake hands with the bravest man I have ever known, the man who killed Voldemort himself," she replied as she extended her hand towards him . 

He took her hand and quickly shook it . When her soft skin caressed his hard, rough one , he felt nice . 

" I am no more brave than anyone who fought the war against him, " Severus replied .

She nodded and vanished into the Ravenclaw Common Room, and he stood there , thinking. He was supposed to love her: a sweet , warm , graceful , sincere , and lovable girl . But would she be able to love him: an old git , grumpy , cold , unpleasant and ugly man? He felt pity for the girl . He let out a little sigh from his thin lips as he went back to Albus' office. He needed answers for his questions .

ልረልክ

"For Merlin's sake, why didn't you tell Miss Barclay what the Patronus really meant ? Her whole future depends upon it. Her whole life depends upon it, " he growled as he stomped into Albus' office without an invitation .

Albus sat quietly on his chair . He let out a sigh at the sight of the angry young professor .

"My dear Severus, what do you want me to tell that young, innocent lady? That on the very first day of her magical schooling, she is destined to love her young professor? " Albus’ reply came calmly but frustration was clear in his voice . 

Speechless , Severus didn’t know what he could say. Albus was correct. They couldn’t tell that young girl a fact like that when she already felt tormented internally from the incident .

He left his office without uttering another word because he didn't want to face the man anymore. He already owed him a lot . Albus was now helping him with Seraphina's matter too . 

He went to his chamber with a tormented feeling in his chest .


	5. Chapter - 5 The Brave Savior Of The Little Hufflepuff

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Who is the girl who stood for the helpless Hufflepuff ?

Things moved on a lot after the unexplainable event in the Great Hall . The classes were working out perfectly . Seraphina acclimated herself comfortably in the new aura of her magical school . Professor Filtwick was so proud and happy to have her in his house. Why wouldn't he be? She was smart , good with charms, and could speak Parseltongue . 

All her classes were going great , Transfiguration , Potions , Defense Against the Dark Arts , Astronomy , Flying, and Care for Magical Creatures . All teachers taught quiet well except for Professor Lockhart. He was always busy with his self-admiration . Other girls were a huge fan of him--the reason was beyond her comprehension. Professor Lockhart was handsome , tall, and even muscular, and the girls liked him for that . But he was their teacher, and yet he didn't teach well in class , so why the hell on this Earth did everyone like him ? She always wondered why . On contrary, everyone hated Professor Snape despite of him being a good and perfect teacher, and he had also saved their future by killing Voldemort. He taught his lessons with utter sincerity . 

She always liked teachers who taught their lessons seriously . 

Other than her classes, she spent most of her time in the library or in the school grounds near the Whomping Willow, which to everyone's amazement accepted her presence without resistance . 

And of course, how could she forget Lucifer and Elenore ? They were her only friends with whom she talked to freely and shared a few things about her family . She knew they both liked each other, but they always seemed to deny the fact, which was something she couldn't understand very well . The three of them spent a lot of time together, but she preferred excusing herself at times to give them some quality time together with no one to interfere. 

But she missed Daniel, she missed him a lot . Daniel was a Muggle . He was all she wasn't… handsome , charming , lovable , funny, and witty and on the other hand, she was boring , a bookworm , and a nerdy geek. Well, that was what everyone at St. Michael's College called her . 

Then also, Daniel loved her . After her parents dies Daniel was the one who comforted her lot and cared for her even more than before . 

She was sitting in the library skimming through a book: 

'Dark Times of the Dark Lord'. 

She was so engrossed in the book that she didn't realize someone was standing near her . 

"Reading is a nice habit, but loosing track of time and surroundings can be dangerous at times, Miss Barclay. " A soft, velvety yet strong voice tugged her out of her intense reading session . It was then she realized Professor Snape was towering over her. 

"It's just a habit, or you could say a passion I can't control, sir. " She replied. 

"It gives me pleasure seeing students like you who give this library the respect it deserves, " Severus commented. 

"Well, if a person can't respect books, then its hard to believe they can respect anything in life, Professor. " She chuckled. 

"That is a very commendable opinion, Miss Barclay, but you should also see the time. It's already 7:45, and dinner starts at 8'clock, so if I may remind you , you should probably be getting ready for dinner at this time, " he admonished. 

She quickly shot a glance at the Muggle watch wrapped around her left wrist and launched up from her seat . 

" You are correct, Professor. Thank you for reminding me, " she said in a hurry with a quick nod . He nodded in return and walked off, his black robes swaying after him . 

" You’re welcome, Miss Barclay," he said while leaving . 

ልረልክ 

Nothing much happened for the first two weeks of school, but then something happened which caused Severus to think a lot . It made him reconsider his thoughts about Lily and their so-called friendship. 

Descending the stairs from her Transfiguration class, Seraphina had an internal debate whether to write a letter to Daniel or not. It had just been two weeks since she’d come to Hogwarts . 

She had ditched the school robe for that day . Her sweater's sleeves were rolled up . As she approached the last step, she heard shouting , cheering and laughing. Shooting a glance at the crowd assembled near the greenhouse situated next to transfiguration tower, she ran towards the crowd to see what was going on . As she approached them, the sight she met disgusted her . Bullying was carried out even in Hogwarts . A small boy, probably of Hufflepuff House as his muffler was bumblebee colour, was crying ,his wand on the ground , and across from him were four older Gryffindor boys, their wands pointed towards the defenseless child , laughing. One of them spoke, raising his wand higher in the air. 

" who want to see Georgy's pants taken off as he hangs upside down in the air? " 

The crowd cheered, giving the bullies motivation . How disgusting people could get, she growled to herself as she tightened the grip on her wand, ready to do something. 

The little Hufflepuff tried going for his wand when one Gryffindor chanted " Flipendo. " 

The steaming light poured out of the end of the boy’s wand , but Seraphina was much quicker with her actions. 

" Expelliarmus, " she chanted, her wand pointed towards the Gryffindor as she ran towards the Hufflepuff . 

She couldn’t let that little Hufflepuff get hexed and get banged against the greenhouse wall . Her hex knocked the wand from the Gryffindor's hand . Seraphina pushed the Hufflepuff aside and tried to dodge the spell, but she couldn’t avoid it and got hexed herself . 

Suddenly her left hand was slammed into the hard, cold glass behind her, banging it hard. In a split second, the glass shattered everywhere around her . A stinging pain enveloped her entire body. It felt like a thousand scorpions stinging her repeatedly all at the same time . She had thought the wall behind her was brick, but she was mistaken. She fell to the ground as blood smeared her clothes. She lay there for what felt like an eternity . 

ልረልክ 

Severus was heading towards the infirmary . Poppy had Floo’d him that she was in urgent need of painkilling and blood replenishing potions as she was short of it . A student had been very badly injured, she had also mentioned . 

There must be another Quidditch crazy dunderhead who must have gotten injured deliberately for the sympathy of the girls and teachers and to show everyone how dangerous their favorite sports is , he thought to himself . 

Entering the infirmary, he saw Albus , Minerva , Filius ,Gilderoy Lockhart and a few students gathered around someone . He couldn't see their face properly, but he could tell that the student had lost a lot of blood because the whole hospital bed was smeared with blood . 

" Here are the potions you asked for, Poppy, " he said, quickly passing the vials to Poppy in the process. 

He wanted to see the face of the unfortunate student and wanted to know how he or she had ended up like that . As he approached the bed, he was taken aback. It was Seraphina . Her pitiful body had been held in the sitting position by the help of other students as Poppy picked out a jagged piece of shattered glass from her left arm. Likewise many pieces of glass pierced her body badly . 

"Ouch..." Seraphina gasped loudly then bit the bottom of her lip, desperately trying to suppress her exclamations as Poppy picked the glass piece from her left palm . The glass had penetrated clear through her palm, as similarly was the case of the humongous glass piece in her left arm . He felt badly for her. 

But how had she ended up that way, he thought to himself . 

"There is no need to hide the pain when it is not possible, my dear Seraphina, " Lockhart advised as he winked at her . 

"Drink this, my child, it will help to reduce the pain, " Poppy told her, cutting off Lockhart and extending a vial of potion towards her . Seraphina quietly took it from her and sipped the contents of the vial in silence . 

Poppy successfully extracted all the glass pieces from the Seraphina's hands , legs and face . She turned towards Severus ,Albus , Filius and Lockhart. 

"Now I would ask that you men leave. I need to pick the glass pieces from her back, and she needs to take her shirt off for that, " she explained. 

Seraphina blushed out of embarrassment at that . 

"Yes, we shall wait outside because I need to talk to her about this incident," Albus said as he turned to leave, indicating for Severus , Filius and Lockhart to follow him . Outside, the four of them stood in silence until Severus decided to question . 

" For Merlin's sake, what did she do to end up like that ?" he asked. Concern was dripping from his tone and he did nothing to mask it . 

" She tried to save another student from a hex, and instead got hexed herself , the poor child, " Albus replied . 

" Why the hell would a student need to be saved by another now ?" he questioned in a baffled tone. 

"I need to ask her the same thing, Severus, "Albus said . 

"Poor young lady , her beautiful face also got affected by the glass, " Lockhart added . 

The rest of them gave him a weird expression. She was in pain, but all Lockhart thought of was beauty . Wow . 

After 25 minutes, Poppy called for them to come inside . Seraphina's wounds were dressed now . So much damage had been done that using magic could have caused more damage than good, so the wounds needed to be healed in the Muggle way . Her clothes were changed, and a new set of clothes were given to her . She sat there on the bed in silence as the four men approached her . 

"My child, how are you feeling now ?" Albus asked in a concerned tone . 

"I... am fine, Headmaster, " Seraphina replied in a pained tone. She wasn't at all . 

"Now, would you like to tell me what happened in the Courtyard, my child? " Albus asked. 

"Huhh," she let out a little sigh from her thin lips. " After Transfiguration had ended, I was coming down the stairs when I heard a crowd cheering, laughing, shouting . The sight I was greeted by disgusted me. Four Gryffindor students were bullying a little Hufflepuff. They were about to hang him upside down in the air and take off his trousers for fun . 

“What type of fun is this, Headmaster? I couldn't bear it, so I jumped in between them, knocked the wand out of the hand of one of them, and pushed the Hufflepuff aside. I was about to dodge the hex, but I wasn’t fast enough, it hit me, " she explained in her no-nonsense tone . She spoke with feverish effort . 

"That is a very serious act, my child . I have to admit it needs a great deal for bravery to go against the odds . " Albus said with concern. 

She passed him a little smile at the comment. 

"But you didn't even know the student, so why did you get hexed for him? " Severus asked with hesitation after a long pause . 

She shot him a glance , confusion in her eyes . " So what if I didn't know him professor? He was being bullied, and I can't stand it and no one should. My parents never taught me such low morals . If those bullies had succeeded, it could have damaged him a lot . He could have gotten depressed or even could have attempted suicide or anything, for Merlin's sake . 

“Well, I was in no mood to get hexed, Professor. I wanted to warn them, but I didn't get the chance. " Anger crept in her voice as she spoke without breaking her eye contact with Severus . 

Aghast . He was aghast by her answer . She had been willing to defend a boy she had barely known because of her integrity . She hadn’t thought of herself getting hurt. 

But he was more shocked by something else. His own memories flashed in front of his eyes when he had been bullied in a similar manner by the Marauders , but no one had come to his defense , not even Lily . They had literally took off his trousers in front of everyone, and Lily had stood there, by their side, without even trying to defend him. She’d laughed with them at his expense. She had asked James to leave him alone once, and when in anger he’d called her what he shouldn't have, a 'Mudblood,' she had gotten offended . 

Had she been facing more pain than him at that moment to have gotten offended? But then she had never talked to him much before that except to ask for help with studies . Lily had never stood up for him although she had been his friend, but this girl stood for a boy she barely knew because of her integrity and her morals . 

Somewhere deep inside his heart, something broke but didn't cause pain because something else , something stronger and warmer, comforted him . The feel was awkward but nice. He liked that feeling . 

" She is correct, Severus. Standing for what you feel is right is never wrong, even if it causes a little damage, " Albus said as he smiled warmly at her . 

She nodded her head shyly . 

"And, of course, it was necessary to show the dunderheads that being beautiful and a capable fighter is an easy task for Miss Barclay , am I right? " Lockhart slipped into the conversation as he glided to the hospital bed next to Seraphina with a wide smile on his lips, and yet again he winked . 

A hint of red came over her cheeks from Lockhart's comment. Lockhart raised his hand and tucked a few strands of hair behind her ear . Seraphina stiffened at Lockhart's act, moving uncomfortably on the bed . 

The sight didn't seem right to Severus. It was clear that Lockhart's proximity was bothering Seraphina, and he felt irate at Lockhart's act . He didn't knew why he felt that way. 

Severus decided to interrupt Lockhart, but a loud noise came from behind them, and when they turned, the sight of a small boy running towards them greeted them . 

"Seraphina, are you all right ? " the little boy shouted as he reached the bed . 

Severus arched an eyebrow at Lockhart, causing him to stand up and move away from the bed. 

"Are you all right, Seraphina ?" the little boy asked again with an apologetic look . 

"I am all right, George, but first tell me, are you all right? Those dunderheads didn't hurt you ?" Seraphina questioned with a concerned tone . 

"I am all right. You came just at the right moment, like a hero, or they would have hurt me otherwise," George answered, his head low with embarrassment. 

Seraphina made George sit next to her and cupped his little face with her bandaged hands . Looking straight into his blue orbs, she softly caressed his cheeks with her thumbs, and the words poured out of her lips. 

"You were crying, am I right ? " 

The boy nodded. 

"Listen, George, there's no need to be scared by those dunderheads or anyone anymore. Now I am with you, okay? And you need not cry over those dunderheads anymore . You are not a little rat; you know that. You are one of the most amazing persons I have ever met . You are one of the most lovable boys one could ever meet . Now, I hope you don't mind making me your friend? I hope you will." 

Every word had come with utter sincerity; it wasn't a lie , anyone could tell that . She had meant every word she had spoken from the bottom of her heart . 

A tear rolled down George's face . Seraphina took him into a hug , tracing circles on his back. "Shhhh... don't cry. I am with you little fella. Now, I very badly need a smile on that little face of yours, " she wispered softly in his ear. 

George pulled away from the hug, giving her a small smile and looking into her black eyes. He suddenly jumped off the bed. 

"Oh, I forgot to do what I came for. " He pulled out a wand from his robes. " Here’s your wand. They forgot to take it with them when they were collecting your stuff. " He held out an Aspen wood , 12 1/2 inch long wand towards her . 

" Thank you so much, George. I had almost forgotten my wand . " Seraphina thanked him . 

"If you are my friend, then no formalities of sorry and thank you, ok? " George smiled as he spoke . 

"Ok, " Seraphina chuckled . 

Seraphina started getting off the bed when Poppy popped in. " Seraphina, my child, where do you think you are going ?" she asked. 

"To my dorm, ma'am. I think you dressed all my wounds, so I shall take my leave," Seraphina replied . 

"No, you are staying in the hospital tonight. Your wounds are deep and painful. You might be in need of some assistance," Poppy said . 

"That is sweet of you, Madam Pomphrey, but I don't want be a burden. I think I can manage, and then Elenore and Lucifer can help me, " Seraphina replied. 

"Those love birds... Never, my child, will you be a burden. It's my job to take care of those injured, so you are staying here for the night and then you can go to your dorm tomorrow. " Poppy said . 

" You should stay here, my child. Madam Pomphrey is right, you are badly injured and need rest. Now I think we all should take our leave and let Seraphina have some rest, " Albus instructed . 

ልረልክ 

The food felt tasteless to Severus that evening . Seraphina was all he could think about. How could she so selflessly throw herself in front of a boy she barely knew? He wanted to know why . 

"Because no one stood for her, Severus. " Albus voice tugged him out of his ocean of thoughts . 

"What? " Severus exclaimed softly as he shot a glance at Albus . 

Albus let out a little sigh. "When she studied at the Muggle school, the students tried to bully her at times, but she stood against them even when she was all alone . That caused an undying hatred against bullying in her heart, and she cannot bear the sight of it . She didn't do it for the sake of being called a hero, " he continued . 

"But why would someone bully her? She is not weak , stupid or clumsy, " Severus replied, a confused look on his face . 

"Because she is way smarter and better than them, even without her magic. You know once she beat two boys twice her size in Muggle fighting." Albus chuckled . 

"Why? " Severus asked curiously. 

"Because they took her spectacles. She hates it when someone touches them. " The reply came even though Albus was still chuckling. 

Severus raised an eyebrow at that comment . 

" Without her glasses, she can't see, and that causes her to be protective about them " 

" Oh... " Severus thought . 

She can stand up for herself . She always has stood up for herself . But how did Albus know all this ? he thought. 

"But Albus, how do you know this much about Miss Barclay ?" Severus questioned. 

“Oh, I saw her profile from her Muggle school and she told me many of those things, and even showed me memories of some when she came for the interview, " Albus replied . 

ልረልክ 

Severus leaned back on his armchair trying to sink it as far as possible as he stared at the fire in the fireplace . He was thinking. He had made judgements about everyone so easily without knowing their past, but Seraphina was still in his mind; he felt pity for her . The lovely girl… he wished her wounds would heal fast .


	6. Chapter - 6 The Potions Class

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Why happened in the gloomy Dungeon class ?

Seraphina was discharged from the hospital the next morning as Poppy had promised . She hurried straight towards the Great Hall with Lucifer and Elenore because they were late. As she stepped in the hall, she felt everyone's eyes on her . But their gazes carried profuse types of expressions . She felt the burden of anguished stares coming from the Gryffindor table . The sympathetic looks from the Head Table made her twinge. Settling comfortably at the Ravenclaw table, the three were about to begin stuffing their mouths with the exquisite dishes displayed on the table when a cheerful voice came from behind Seraphina. She turned to see George standing there with a bouquet of foxy flowers . 

"How's it going, Seraphina ?" he asked in a very cheerful manner . 

"I am fine, but you first tell me about you," Seraphina replied, trying to replicate his cheerfulness. Her wounds still throbbed. 

"All good... well, I brought you these flowers. I hope you like them. " George smiled as he extended the bouquet in her direction . 

"They are the most beautiful flowers I have ever seen, George. Thank you very much for them , but where did you get these from? " she asked and gave him a warm smile as she scanned the flowers. 

"Oh... Hagrid helped me pick these for you from the forest," he whispered in her ear . 

"Oh... That's very sweet of you, George, and I think I need to thank Hagrid sir too for his help. " She chuckled as she pulled George towards her, placing her soft lips on his cheek . George's eyes widened at her kiss . 

"Come sit. Have breakfast with us. " She patted the empty seat next to her . He slipped in and started eating and chatting with Seraphina . 

Suddenly, Headmaster Dumbledore stood and went towards the podium as professor McGonagall made a clinking sound with her spoon and glass to grab everyone's attention . 

"Good morning, everyone, " the Headmaster greeted everyone with a smile, but soon it faded and an austere look came over his face. 

"Yesterday a very disheartening episode happened with a Ravenclaw student . As we all know, a group of Gryffindor students tried to bully a Hufflepuff, and a Ravenclaw student stepped in between to try and break it up, getting injured badly in the process . It disheartens me to see the students of the house famous for it's bravery committing an act like this . And the thing which forlorn me more is the fact that all students stood there enjoying the sight. " The Headmaster's tone was staid, causing an eerie silence to be cast over the Great Hall . 

" Because of this hideous act from those students, fifty points will be taken from Gryffindor, and for the courageous act of student Seraphina Barclay, Ravenclaw has been awarded seventy points ." the Headmaster continued . 

The hall broke into applause at the announcement . The noise of shouting and hooting came from the Ravenclaw table, but a disappointed silence took over the Gryffindors . Slytherins were happy too, not because Ravenclaw had received the points but because Gryffindor had lost them . There was a constant rivalry between the two houses, but the reason was quiet childish . Although she noticed the Heads of the houses shared a friendly relation, the students didn't . 

Seraphina's face flushed red as she blushed furiously . 

"You are the best, Seraphina, " George exclaimed while giving her a hug . 

"No I am not , I’m sure, " she replied shyly. 

Severus listened to Albus' speech, but his eyes were locked on someone sitting at the Ravenclaw table in the arms of the little Hufflepuff . She was out of the hospital now. 

How is she feeling now? he thought . He wanted to ask her, but he was afraid of what she would think of his actions if he did . 

But knowing the welfare of his own student is not a bad thing, he grumbled in his thoughts . 

The rest of breakfast was conducted in silence.. Scanning the hall, Severus’ eyes fell upon Lockhart, who was on the other side of the table grinning wildly. His eyes locked upon a certain someone at the Ravenclaw table. Trying to figure to whom he was staring, Severus concluded he was looking at Seraphina only . A dark look came over Lockhart's eyes, and as Severus watched, they darkened even more . The look in his eyes made Severus uncomfortable . 

Breakfast finished and everyone went on with their business . 

ልረልክ 

The Potions class was held in the Dungeons, and it was invariably dark and cold there, but somehow the room had enough visibility to be able to take the class and see things clearly. It always baffled the students how it was that way . Severus very patiently waited for the students to enter, and as soon as the whole class was settled, he started. 

" So, today's class is dedicated to the Veritaserum potion. " His smooth and deep tone complimented the aura of the Dungeons. "Veritaserum is a very powerful truth potion . The name "Veritaserum" derives from the Latin word Veritas, meaning truth. Three drops of this potion are all that is needed to force anyone to respond to any question with the truth, " he dictated, and the students who cared to take notes jotted that in their notebooks. 

The other dunderheads just listened, lost in their thoughts, wondering God knows what. It was then his eyes fell upon Seraphina, her quill held in her left hand , writing . She sat alone on the bench . A smarting look on her face . It baffled him . Why was she writing with her left hand? 

" Miss Barclay, Why are you holding the quill in the wrong hand? " he queried. 

She raised her head and gave him a befuddled look . 

"I am sorry, Professor? " she questioned him politely . 

"You are holding the quill with the wrong hand, Miss Barclay, " he repeated, directing his gaze towards her left hand. 

"Oh... Professor, actually it is my correct hand. I am a lefty, so I write with my left hand only, " she replied . 

"Well, its rare to see left-handed wizards, " Severus said with a arched eyebrow . 

"I surely didn't know that, Professor. " She smiled . 

"Miss Barclay, I observed you are having difficulty in writing , so I would like to excuse you from the writing today's notes," he said with a concerned tone . 

"No , no, Professor, I am fine. I will be fine," she replied hesitantly . 

"Are you sure about that, Miss Barclay? " he asked. 

"Yes, Professor, " she replied shyly . 

The first hour went by with Severus' lecture, and the students had to brew the potion in the next . As they took their places at the counter and started collecting the ingredients for the potion, he saw Seraphina struggling with holding the ingredients, but Miss Wilson came to her aid . Scanning the brewing process silently, he walked around peeking into a cauldron or two . As he passed the counter where Seraphina was working, he noticed her struggling with cutting the Frankincense . Her hand had stiffened due to the potions, and her wounds sent stinging pain through her hand . Severus observed her biting her lips, trying burdensomely not to let out a scream . His heart clenched. This girl tried so hard not to attract attention; she was too hard on herself . Wanting to help her badly, he let out a little sigh from his thin lips, readying himself for the act he was about to commit . He quickly walked across to the table and stood next to her as he politely snatched the knife from her. He was careful not to increase the harrowing and started chopping Frankincense for her . 

Her mouth fell open and eyes widened in awe at his act . The tall, black figure standing next to her at the counter chopped the Frankincense in the most delicate manner . His every move was so precise and accurate. His black hair partially curtained his lean and slender face . She quickly pushed away her thoughts and composed herself. 

" Professor, there is no need for this. I can do it. " Every word she spoke felt so heavy to her that it almost became a whisper . 

He placed the knife calmly on the shelf and turned to face her. There was an incomprehensible look in his eye. 

"You silly girl, why don't you accept the fact that you feel pain like any other human, and why the hell on this Earth aren't you asking for any help or assistance? No one will pity you here, " he scolded her with disquiet in his voice. The whole class turned towards them , looking at the scene . 

"I... ummmm... Professor," she stuttered. 

It was the first time she had done so . She was always confident and firm with her words and actions. But right now, she was uncertain about what to reply to him . Her professor was right. She felt the throbbing in her hand, but she didn't want anyone's sympathy or pity. It was the last thing she wanted ever . 

He felt the gaze of the students on them, so he swiftly looked upon them with an arched eyebrow. 

" So, how's the show? " he snapped, bringing them back to reality. They all looked away. 

" Back to work, and I expect no noise as I will be assisting Miss Barclay with this potion due to her injury," he continued .   
Turning back towards Seraphina, he saw her mouth still open and eyes still widened . He cleared his throat, trying to snap her back to reality, and it worked. She composed herself and moved over to relocated herself on the shelf so that she could maintain an appropriate distance from her professor as she accepted her defeat . Professor Snape's proximity didn't bothered her like Professor Lockhart's did . 

Other students consistently called him rude and nasty, but her heart never believed those comments . It wasn't because he was helping her, though. When she had laid her eyes on him for the first time in the Great Hall , he had looked internally tormented. Although he had masked it in a flawless manner, she was able to see that torment . 

The rest of the class went by smoothly , she did the brewing work, and Professor Snape did the chopping , cutting , and grinding and slitting work. She insisted on doing some of it, but he wouldn’t let her to even touch the ingredients . She contemplated him. He was a very dedicated person about his work; it was clear from his graceful manner of holding the equipment and preparing the ingredients . 

Her potion was brewed perfectly. It would have been odd if it hadn’t been , after all, the potions master himself had helped her . 

Professor Snape dismissed the class; everybody started leaving . By now only Lucifer , Elenore , Seraphina and Severus were left . 

" Hey, Luc and Eley, why don't you both go. I will catch up with you in the Common room . I hope that's fine with you, " she told them . 

" Why ? what's the matter with you ?" Lucifer asked . 

" Nothing, I just wanted to thank Batman for his help, " Seraphina whispered with a chuckle . She nicknamed Professor Snape Batman . He was always clad in black, and his cloak swayed behind him, similar to Batman's . He was heroic , intelligent, and handsome, just like Batman . 

"Oh... go , go thank him. It's not everyday that Batman helps a student, " Elenore whispered back, grinning wildly . Lucifer and Elenore left . 

"See ya in study hall, " Lucifer said, vanishing around the corner of the corridor . 

Seraphina let out a little sigh and turned towards her professor, who was leaning against his desk with his hands supporting his posture .   
Slowly approaching him, stopping at a appropriate distance, she faced him . She felt his mysterious eyes on her. 

"No need to thank me for doing my duties, Miss Barclay, " Severus said in a resonant tone . 

Why can't this girl just accept help without thanking a million times? he thought . 

"But ..." she whispered to herself . How did he know what was in her mind? "How do you know…,? " she continued whispering . 

"Because you have a habit of thanking someone a million times for helping you. " Severus rolled his eyes. . 

"It's not like that, Professor , it's just that I want them to know how thankful I am for their help. " She smiled at the professor's comment . 

She looked up at him and said, " but this time I truly want to thank you for helping me brew the potion and ..." she paused . 

"And ...?" Severus raised an eyebrow at the long pause . 

"And, yes, I do hate sympathy from people, " she said with a defiant look in her eyes . 

An awkward silence came over them. Neither knew what to say, so Seraphina cleared her throat and shot a glance at Batman . 

"So, I think I should leave now. See you at dinner, Professor. " 

She bit her lip as the last words poured out of her lips . She had said that to her professor . It was too informal a way of addressing her professor . 

" Sorry ..." She whispered shyly . 

"Why... Miss Barclay?" Severus raised an eyebrow . 

" For addressing you so informally. “ she responded. 

" Apology accepted. " He smirked . 

Surprised by her professor's response, she looked at him in surprise with wide eyes . 

Severus noticed her features , although he didn't want to, but it was an irresistible urge he surrendered to . Her dusky eyes held a surprised look in them .Warmth , mysteriousness , sadness and curiosity played a playfully fluid dance in those eyes . 

A sharp dagger stabbed in his chest or at least it felt like that . Her eyes were just like the girl’s . The girl who had come to him in his dream the night he had killed The Dark Lord . She’d had the same eyes—no those eyes were Seraphina’s . He lost control of his senses. So bewitched by her eyes was he, that he didn't realize he had risen from the desk and was walking towards Seraphina . 

Batman looked appalled . There was something in his eyes she couldn't comprehend . He was coming towards her . 

Severus didn't realized how near he had come to Seraphina . His muscular body was about to touch her when she took a step back. Suddenly a disagreeable look came over her . 

"Professor, " she gasped out of breath . 

Her words snapped him back to reality . He was standing within an uncomfortable proximity to Seraphina . He took a step back, trying to extend the distance between them . 

"I... I should ... leave, Professor, " she stammered in a timorous tone as she almost ran towards the door of the class. 

"Sera..." he called for her but she was gone . 

ልረልክ 

Seraphina entered the study hall panting. She ran from the Dungeons to the study hall. Entering the hall, she scanned for Lucifer and Elenore. They were sitting at the corner table by themselves . She ran towards them and slipped into the seat in front of them, still panting heavily and deeply lost in her thoughts . 

"So, how was the thanking session with that Greasy Bat ?" Elenore chuckled as she tugged Seraphina out of her thoughts. 

"Oh... fine ... it was fine, "she replied, still deep in thought, wondering about the professor's actions . 

"Ok..." they replied together . 

The hours went by but felt like oblivion to her . It was finally time for dinner . Her stomach growled from hunger, but didn't really feel hungry. Her mind was still incredulous about Batman's actions . 

ልረልክ 

What the hell had he done? He had scared Seraphina . What would she be thinking of him ? He was still standing there , loosing track of time . A stinging pain struck his legs when he realized he was still standing there where she had stood when she left . Looking at the clock, he saw it was the time for dinner . He collected his thoughts and composed himself as he walked out of the Dungeons towards the Great Hall . 

Letting a little sigh escape from his thin lips, he entered the Great Hall, ignoring every living thing that existed there at that time . Sitting at the Head Table next to Lockhart made him question his own existence . His heart pounded hard. Again he had the urge to glance at Seraphina . Her timid figure looked even smaller , her head down as she ate her food in silence . Her skin was pale, and she looked so deep in thoughts . He didn't knew why, but he felt sorry for his act , it had upset her . Deciding to apologies to her, he let out a little sigh as he ran his long and slender fingers through his raven hair, trying to push aside the thoughts . 

After finishing their dinner, Seraphina, George , Lucifer and Elenore were sauntering towards the Ravenclaw dorm talking all the way . 

" Hey, you filthy Ravenclaw, "someone shouted over their shoulder . 

The four of them turned together. Seraphina’s wand slipped from her sleeve tightly, gripping it in her hand, ready to defend them . A few Gryffindor boys marched towards them with furious looks on their faces . Everyone in the corridor froze in their place . A tall , blonde, and muscular boy marched up to Seraphina . His nose caressing her forehead. She could feel his hot breath , his body trembled from anger . He grabbed her forearms tightly in his iron grip , sending a stinging pain down her hand . He tried to pin her against the wall, but she was quick , burying the tip of her wand in his neck and pushing him back . 

" How dare you take away fifty points from us, you bitch, " he growled as his anger rose at her defensive act . 

"I didn't take away any points from you. Those scumbags lost them deliberately. Now walk away," she replied calmly, but blood was boiling inside . 

She stared the Gryffindor straight into his green eyes. He broke her eye contact and shot a furious glance at George, who stood in between Lucifer and Elenore. . 

" And you, filthy little rat, what do you think? This bitch saved you this time so you are safe?. No, I will make you realize that you have gotten on the wrong side of the wrong Gryffindor," he shouted at the little boy. 

A little tear rolled down his eyes . Seraphina saw the tear and turned her face towards the tall boy, burying her wand even deeper than before, almost piercing his skin . Her eyes burning with rage 

" You try to even look at George, and I will make you regret your whole existence in this world. And call him a little rat once more, and you will know what is feels like to wet your pants every five minutes as a 17 year-old . Now, if you don't want me to slice off your little penis and slit every part of your visible skin , then don't ever try to bully anyone ever again or call me a bitch. Did I made myself clear, you little scumbag?" 

The rage rose as she threatened him . Her body trembled from anger . She didn't realize she had pierced the wand too hard and that a drop of blood flowed down the student’s neck . She backed up a step, and without another word held George and Elenore's hand and marched off with Lucifer on their heels . 

The Gryffindor stood there, aghast and ashamed . Nobody had ever talked to him like that , not even his own parents . But one thing had been made clear to him. He had gotten on the wrong side of that Ravenclaw . 

Meanwhile, Severus had stood in the corner of the corridor spectating the whole drama . He should have intruded but he hadn’t . He liked when those brave Gryffindors were taught that they weren't the only ones who could do magic or were brave enough to speak for themselves . He had never thought the elegant Ravenclaw could be so vicious if you got on her wrong side . She had stood for herself and George yet again . Not like Lily, who never could have thought of standing up against the famous Marauders for the poor , unpopular Snivellus Snape . He let out a little sigh . 

ልረልክ 

"Oh, my God, you are badass, girl !!!!" Elenore cried, jumping on the couch in the Ravenclaw Common room . Seraphina wiped George's tear. 

" I am in bad need of a refreshing smile after standing so close to that foul smelling Gryffindor, " she said with pretended tiredness . George gave her a smile . They both were trying hard to ignore Elenore , Lucifer and the other Ravenclaws who had gone mad after she confronted that dunderheaded Gryffindor . It felt like a celebration of someone who didn't know what was going on. 

"Shoot! Eley, there was no chance that I would have let him go after he called George a little rat, " she said with a dismissive wave of hand . 

"I am going to bed now. Do you want me to drop you to your dorm, George?" she asked, turning towards him . 

"Nah... I can go, and after what you did, nobody will ever try to hurt me again, " he said with a chuckle . 

"Ok, fine, " she said . 

George stepped closer to her and placed a kiss on her soft cheek . " Thank you for saving me again, " he said as he pulled away . 

"Awwwww... I did what was right, and I gained a good friend so no need of thanks, " she replied, smiling brightly . 

George left and she went to bed, dragging the overwhelmed Elenore with her . 

ልረልክ 

Severus was lying on his bed in his black pajama bottoms . He couldn't sleep . Seraphina’s aghast face in front of his eyes made it impossible to sleep . He had not been able to apologize to her today, but he had decided the first thing he would do in the morning would be to apologize to her right away . 

He glanced at the clock. It was one in the morning, and still he was lying on his bed wide awake . Slipping out of the bed, he decided to take a walk . Putting on his raven night robe over his unclothed, muscular chest . He liked sleeping that way without anything covering his chest . The day outfits were enough to cover his body . Taking his wand in case he might have to transfigure his outfit, he strolled down the desolate corridor . It felt so nice to see the beautiful walls of the corridor without some dunderheads running around and students snogging in the corners . Passing by a window as he strolled down the corridor, he looked out of the window. The pale crescent moon shone like a silvery claw in the night sky. In front of him was the school grounds which seemed to spread into oblivion . But he saw a dark figure on the grounds , someone was out on the grounds . If it was a student, it couldn’t get any worse for him or her. Detention for at least two months with Filch and House Points taken away for sure . The thought amused him as he marched towards the outdoors. In no time, he was outside on the grounds and was marching towards the figure . 

Seraphina was lying on the school ground looking up at the blanket of stars that stretched to infinity. She couldn't sleep . After the school trip two years ago, it was hard to sleep, and today Batman's actions bothered her even more . What had happened to him today ? The question was left unanswered. Deep in her thoughts, she didn't noticed a dark figure approaching her . 

It was a girl , a small girl , definitely a student, he thought. 

The bright moonlight increased the visibility . The girl was lying on the ground. A knee-length sweatshirt hung over her shoulder , her thin legs were bare . The proximity increased and as he got closer, he took notice of her face. It was Seraphina . He stopped, not wanting to go much closer like before . 

Apologize to her: it's the perfect time , a part of his mind shouted at him . He sighed and called for her . 

"Miss Barclay ? " his chocolatey-deep voice interrupted her thoughts . His voice was so inimitable , she knew it was him. 

"Oh ! Professor, " she cried collecting herself, she stood up and straighten her long sweatshirt, trying hard to stand as far as she could form him . 

"May I ask what are you doing out of your dorm at 1:30 in the morning ? " he asked . 

His tone was soft. He knew why she was here . She was baffled by his actions, and she also couldn't sleep . 

" Actually, I wasn't able to sleep so I just came here to get some fresh air, " she replied trying to avoid any eye contact with her professor . 

A long silence came over them . They both stood like that for God-knows-how-long . Severus’ eyes locked upon her, and Seraphina's eyes hovered, looking at anything but him . She felt his eyes on her, but she couldn't tell what he was looking at specifically . Severus decided to break that awkward silence . 

"I want to apologize for my behavior back in the classroom, Miss Barclay. " The words slipped his lips . He truly sounded apologetic and sorry for his acts . 

" Ummmm... Professor, I hope you don't mind if I ask what actually happened back in class? " she asked, her tone hesitant . She Still tried to avoid any eye contact. 

" Your eyes are just like my mother's . Raven black with a hint of mysteriousness and curiosity, just like her. " 

He hadn’t lied , he was telling the truth . Her eyes were just like his mother's . Although both those eyes carried warmth and curiosity, they both also carried an unexplainable sadness with them . All his life, he shad never saw such beautiful eyes as his mother's and Lily's . And now this girl stood in front of him with eyes just like his mother. 

" In my whole life, I have never seen anyone with eyes like my mother's because they were unique and incomparable. " 

He paused and let out a sigh. Although he had told her the truth, it was still a lie . He had gotten so close to her because he had seen her eyes in his dream . 

" So when I saw your eyes, I was surprised to find eyes just like hers, " he continued. 

"They were..." She gave him a questioning look . 

"She is no more, " he replied silently . 

"Oh... I am so sorry for your loss, Professor, " she said apologetically . 

He loved his mother . She is no more , and I have eyes just like her , she deduced . I Internal torment lay dormant inside her . He just wanted to have a look at his mother's eyes once more, that's all, she thought . 

"So, what's my punishment, Professor? " she questioned him . 

"For, Miss Barclay? " he raised an eyebrow. 

" For sneaking out past curfew," she said with a nervous chuckle . 

" Well, it's your first time, so it will be forgiven, " he said . 

" Seriously? " she cried . 

" Yes, Miss Barclay, " he replied. 

The reason was simple: he didn't want her to spend two months with Filch . For some alien reason the man was always nasty . 

" Now, if I may suggest, you should be heading to your dorm, " he said. 

" Yes, Professor, " she replied . 

" Mind if I escort you? It's too late now, " he insisted . 

" That's very sweet of you, Professor Snape, but I will manage it, " she replied . 

" I insist, Miss Barclay ." He wanted her to reach her dorm safely . But he knew one thing, she would never accept his proposal so he did what he had done the last time . He stepped closer to her and placed his hand on the small of her back and started walking. She stumbled at the sudden act, but then got firm on her feet . Her eyes widened at his gentle act . A true gentleman . 

He had almost forgotten about her injury, so keeping his face unemotional he asked in a courteous way, " Well, how is your injury, Miss Barclay ? " 

" Ya, it's fine, " she replied . 

They didn't talk much on the way, and he dropped her off at the doorway of her dorm and went to his own chamber . 

Lying on the bed, he fell asleep in no time . 

Talking to Batman and clearing out all the mess had calmed Seraphina . That night she got to sleep for the first time in months . 

\----------------------- 

Author's Note -

I saw just two Lefty people in Harry Potter so made a myth out of it for my story , it's not a fact . Please don't think I hate Gryffindors, it's just that I have used them as allegory in my story, and because Seraphina and Severus are connected by all means, so the involvement of Gryffindors was important . This Severus Snape is different from the book because his last experiences are different from the book one .


	7. Chapter - 7 The Centaur's Angel

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Can a Centure trust a witch ? Can this unconventional friendship flourish ?

" I am saying that with due respect, Headmaster, I can't accept this proposal , it would be unfair to others. " Seraphina's words filled the awkward silence that took over the Headmaster's office . 

" But what's unfair in this, my child ?" the Headmaster questioned her . 

" Headmaster, I arrived here just two and a half weeks ago; I can't accept the post of Head Girl," Seraphina replied confidently . 

" But you must provide me with an appropriate reason for your declining, " the Headmaster asked, his brows knotted . 

" Headmaster Dumbledore, there are students who came here as 11 year-olds. They have grown up in these classes. They have known this place as their second home. They have dedicated themselves to their houses and have earned a lot from this castle . I just came here two and a half weeks ago. This place doesn't have a place in my heart yet. My one act can't supersede the experience and knowledge of students who have studied here from the first day. I simply don't deserve this . And taking the place of the person who deserves it more than me is something I can't do. It's against my integrity," Seraphina answered with a firm grip on her words . Every word came out with utter sincerity and in a discerning manner . 

Severus heard her little speech from the corner of the room where he stood with a cup of tea in his hand . The panel of teachers had been called upon for the interview of the students who were selected for the post of Head Girl and Head Boy . 

This girl is impossible to understand. She came here two weeks ago, and now she has been given the opportunity to become the Head Girl, yet she is declining it because of her integrity . For Merlin's sake, any student would die for the opportunity, and she simply rejected it, he thought . 

He realized that it would take a lot of time for him to understand her . After all, he would have to spend the rest of his life loving her . Would he be able to do so? he wondered. 

" Seraphina, my child, you qualify in every criteria for the post with flying marks . You are good at your studies , are well respected among the students , other students look up to you with hope , and teachers are very impressed with your knowledge and class performance. I see no reason in not selecting you. " Albus' words interrupted Severus' train of thought. 

" Sir, Emma Bailey is an excellent student, and she fits all your criteria . Plus, she has been a student here from the start . I can say she deserves it more than I do, " Seraphina replied . 

The Headmaster let out a sigh. " Ok then, if you don't want it, then I can't force you . But I want you to take up the post of Prefect . Now please don't deny this, " Albus proposed . 

"But Headmaster…" Seraphina was about to refuse, but Professor Lockhart interrupted, " Seraphina , Seraphina , Seraphina, I think you should accept the post. After all, you deserve it . Now if you don't want to do it for yourself, then do it for me . " 

His words baffled Seraphina . 

Why the hell on this Earth would she accept it for him ? Why is he always there to intrude on her deep and mature conversations? she growled in her thoughts. 

" I think it would be good if you accept it Seraphina . Headmaster Dumbledore is right. You deserve the post, and after all, I don't find anyone half as capable as you in Ravenclaw," Professor Flitwick added, tugging her out of her thoughts . 

Turning towards Professor Flitwick, Seraphina's face turned red from blushing. " Professor, there are people better than me, " she replied simply in a silent tone . 

"I agree with Professor Flitwick, Seraphina, " Professor McGonagall added . 

" Ok, I accept the post, Headmaster Dumbledore, " she replied in a defeated tone . 

She couldn't understand why every one of her professors was so determined for her to become a Prefect . She wasn't as good as her teachers were claiming her to be . It was revealing to her that Batman stood there in the corner not saying anything .   
Maybe he is the only teacher who knows I’m not good enough, she thought to herself . 

One thought bothered her more. Why was Professor Lockhart always so interested in her affairs? His smile irritated her sometimes . 

"It's my pleasure to have a Prefect like you, Seraphina, " Albus said happily as if declaring a war . 

Other teachers joined his happiness and congratulated her. Only Batman stood in the corner, but Professor Lockhart stood from his armchair, strolled towards her, and then gave her a hug as he spoke, " I am happy you accepted it, Seraphina ." 

Severus saw him giving her a hug . He didn't feel angry or jealous seeing that, but he sensed the distress it was causing to Seraphina, and it angered him . Letting out a furious sigh, he marched in their direction . Lockhart let her out of his grip, seeing Severus marching towards them . Severus stopped, seeing her out of his grip; that was all he had wanted .   
  
ልረልክ 

"YOU DID WHAT ?!!!!!!! ARE YOU CRAZY AL? YOU WERE OFFERED THE POST OF HEAD GIRL AND YOU SAID NO ?!!!!!!!!" Elenore shouted at Seraphina as she packed her stuff. 

The Prefects were given different dorms, and as she had accepted the post, she was required to move there . Seraphina ignore Elenore and continued with her packing . 

Al , the lovebirds had nicknamed Seraphina because she was crazy about a Muggle actor . Lucifer stood there befuddled. He respected her decision, but it baffled him too as to why someone would reject such a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity . The only difference between Elenore and Lucifer was their reaction . 

Shutting the trunk, Seraphina started dragging it towards the door. She stopped near Elenore, who was still shouting like a mad woman. 

" Eley, now if you want, Lucifer and you can drop me off at my new dorm, or I will have to go myself," she said calmly . 

" Of course, we have to drop you off and teach you that you don't say no to two things in this world, " Elenore replied calming down . 

" And what are they ? " Seraphina questioned her with an arched eyebrow . 

" Never say no to an opportunity like this or to a smiling Gilderoy Lockhart, " Elenore replied with a flirting gesture . 

" Oh, for Merlin's sake, you and your crush over Professor Lockhart, “ Seraphina replied with an irritated look on her face . 

" Na, I am fine with my teacher crush. At least I get to see him every day . And I am not the one who crushes upon a guy whom I have never met, " Elenore teased her . 

" At least my crush is not a teacher who doesn't actually teach, " Seraphina replied.   
  
"Ok, fine ladies; now let's drop you at your dorm and then maybe we all can go to dinner together, " Lucifer interrupted and moved in between the quarreling girls , dragging both of them with him . 

" Fine, " both girl's replied with a bored tone . 

ልረልክ 

Seraphina's wounds had healed completely by now . She acclimated to her Prefect’s duties and managed them well with her studies. Nothing much happened and it pleased Seraphina . Her school life was going on normally . Normal was rare in her life.   
  
ልረልክ 

"So I, Gilderoy Lockhart, your Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, want you to practice dueling and master this art just like me, " Professor Lockhart instructed the class . " So, now pair up and position yourself ." 

Wow, professor Lockhart is teaching ! Seraphina mused while scanning the class for a partner. All paired up except for her , no one was left for her to pair up with . So, she slipped to the corner of the class, not wanting to muddle others . She was observing the students who were dueling when a voice came from her right shouting her name. " Seraphina , Seraphina, Seraphina, why aren't you dueling? " It was Professor Lockhart who was approaching her , his brows knotted together . 

" Oh... Professor, actually I don't have a partner for dueling, " she answered his question . 

" So, come duel with me, " he proposed as he held out his hand for her to take and winked at her. 

" Ok, Professor , if you wish, " she answered. 

There is nothing wrong with dueling with your teacher, and maybe he might tell me where I lack experience , she thought as she took his hand . 

They both stood face to face with their wands pointed out at each other . She felt angry and loathing stares of some of the girls on her. Those were his true fangirls . Lockhart smirked at her with a dark look in his eyes. She couldn't read his gaze, so she ignored it . 

" So, ladies first, " he said . 

" Confringo, " the spell slipped out of her lips . Lockhart blocked it . 

" Stupefy, " he yelled . She jerked her hand towards the left fidgeting it with ease . 

" Expelliarmus ," the spell slipped past her lips in no more than a whisper . He blocked it as well. 

" Incarcerous, " the curse came her way, she deflected it easily. 

Professor Lockhart lowered his wand with a frown. 

" Seraphina , Seraphina, Seraphina , your technique is all wrong. You need to move your hand towards the right, not the left for blocking the spell, " Lockhart said marching in her direction . 

" Oh, Professor, my wand hand is left, and it also blocks the spell comfortably, " she replied . 

" But I insist on flicking towards the right side, " he persuaded . 

" Ummmm... if you insist, Professor , will it help me improve ?" she questioned him with a hesitant tone . 

" Of course it will improve your blocking skills, " he replied . 

They took their previous position. 

" Expelliarmus, " Lockhart cried . 

Seraphina did what was instructed . Flicking towards the right side, she tried to block the spell but it didn't work . The next thing she felt was the cold floor . Feeling a bit dizzy, she tried to get herself into a sitting position when she heard her professor yelling . 

" Are you all right, Seraphina ?! " he yelled as he slipped to his knees on the floor next to her " I shouldn't have asked you to do so, I am so sorry, " he continued with a concerned voice . Her head felt heavy . By now the whole class was hovering over their heads . 

"I am fine, Professor, you don't need to worry, " she mumbled weakly . 

" But I am not, Seraphina , I must take you to the hospital and get you checked by Poppy as soon as possible, " he said in a perturbed tone . 

" There is no need of that, sir, " she managed to say . 

" Sure there is, Seraphina, " he cut her off before she could speak further . 

But what came next astounded her . She expected him to help her get on her feet, but instead he took her arms and intertwined them around his neck , slipped a hand beneath her knees, and wrapped the other around her waist and stood. 

Gilderoy Lockhart stood encircled by students , the fragile figure held in his muscular arms in the bridal position. Starting to walk towards the class door, he turned, facing the class as he reached the door . 

" I dismiss this class today as I need to take Seraphina to the Infirmary and make sure she is all right. " He spoke and started marching towards the Infirmary . 

Seraphina's dizziness faded as her eyes widened by his action . As her body stiffened in his arms she adjusted herself. 

" Professor, please put me down. I can walk myself, " she pleaded him . 

" You weren’t even able to get up; I doubt you can walk, Seraphina, " he replied, ignoring her plea. “And don't worry, you are very light to carry, and I can assure you my strong arms can lift up a beautiful student like you very easily, " he continued with a chuckle . 

Does he talk this way with all women, or is he being a flirt? Can this man, for once, stop his self-admiration? she growled in her thoughts . Oh my God, please put me down. She prayed in her mind . 

Of all the things she wanted, being spotted in the arms of Gilderoy Lockhart was the last on the list . What would people think of her? That she was just like the other fangirls of his who got hexed deliberately for his attention . 

Oh my God ! I hate him . 

But what others thought had never bothered her before, so why should it now ? She just didn't want to be in his arms anymore. 

Her train of thought broke as his irritating voice interrupted" Oh, Professor Snape, what are you doing here at this hour ? " 

Oh shit ! Of all the people who they could have encountered on the way, it was Batman . Wow . He was the most sensible of all her teachers . What will he think of me now ? 

Well, why did it bother her? What people thought about her had never nagged at her, but Batman's presence here was bothering her. 

"This is a school, and I am a teacher here, so why would you ask what I am doing here, Professor Lockhart? " Severus replied in an irritated tone . 

Severus had come to the library as this was his free hour. He was leaving with his books when his eyes fell upon Lockhart, who was marching in his direction with some girl in his arms . 

Another fangirl who must have gotten hurt so that her handsome professor could give her attention , he mused as he saw Lockhart coming closer. 

He glanced at the face of the girl; it was Seraphina. She shifted uncomfortably, and he noticed her body stiffen . 

What had happened to her ? Was she all right ? Why the hell was Lockhart holding her in his arms? Was he blind? Couldn’t he see she was uncomfortable ? He wanted to throw all the questions upon Lockhart, but he took hold of himself . 

" What did Miss Barclay do to end up in your arms ? " darkness dripped from his voice . 

" Nothing. Seraphina missed a spell and got hexed. Well, that was my mistake. I asked her to deflect the unfriendly spell towards her right hand ," replied Lockhart, calmly passing Severus . 

" Why the hell on this Earth did you asked her to use her right hand? She is left-handed. Don't you know that ?" Anger rose in his voice, but he didn't do anything to mask it. 

Lockhart decided to ignore him . 

Poppy did a regular checkup . Everything was normal and Seraphina was fine, just her heart rate had increased but it was not of much concern . Severus came to the hospital with them. He hadn’t wanted Lockhart to repeat his behavior and do something he had done before that made her uncomfortable . 

It was now the last class of the day, so Seraphina had decided to go to her prefect’s dorm. Thanking her professor for his concern, she started strolling towards the exit of the hospital when suddenly Lockhart called for her. " Wait, Seraphina ! Let me drop you to your dorm. " he yelled, running in her direction . 

" There is no need for that, Professor. I can manage. Thanks for asking, " she replied courteously. 

" I insist. And I just want to ensure you reach your dorm safely, " said Lockhart cutting her off . 

He quickly slipped his hand around her waist and started dragging her along. Seraphina was taken by surprise by his gesture . 

Is he deaf? Why can't he let me go on my own ? And why has he kept his hand on my waist ? She growled in her thoughts . His touch made her uncomfortable , her muscle clenched . 

Severus' blood boiled . Why can't this stupid Lockhart leave the girl alone ? She was not like other fangirls of his , she didn’t even take him seriously many times. He had noticed her attention towards him occasionally. He felt bad for the girl . 

Lockhart dropped Seraphina at the door of the Prefect’s dorm . She thanked him and vanished inside the entrance hole . 

Elenore marched Seraphina’s room as if it belonged to her . She was in no mood to think about her Lockhart Chronicles right now. 

Her chamber in the Prefect’s dorm was a middle sized room with navy blue interior representing her Ravenclaw pride . Her bed was situated at the corner of the room, and the other two walls were covered with shelves which were mostly stuffed with books and some photo frames . An armchair was kept in the corner near the window with a small coffee table which matched the rest of the furniture . Her room had a modern design, but the Victorian touch gave it a congenial feeling . 

" Oh my God, Lockhart took you in his muscular arms. Oh God, he looked so handsome, " Elenore gushed. " Just admit you did that on purpose for him to take you in his arms, " she teased her, nudging Seraphina with her elbow. 

"Oh, for Merlin's sake, shut up Eley. You know how much I am in love with him to have done that deliberately ," Seraphina teased . 

"Ya ya, I know how much you love him . You share the same love for him that greasy bat shares for Gryffindors, " said Elenore jumping on her bed . " You lucky geek, " she cursed Seraphina . 

Tossing on the bed, Elenore's eyes fell upon the side table . A very elegant Victorian style lamp was placed on it along with some photo frames . Those were her family photos, but among them was kept a photo of a man she had never seen before . Seraphina had shown Elenore her family photos, but that man had never been among them. She took the photo frame in her hand and scanned the man in it . He was a good looking man maybe in his 40’s, she guessed . 

" Who's this man ? You never told me about him ? " Elenore questioned her friend turning the photo in Seraphina’s direction . 

Seraphina, who was sitting on her armchair with some book she had buried her nose in , raised her head to glance at Elenore . Her face turned red—as red as a rose . Her eyes looked embarrassed . 

" Oh... this is ..." she stammered . 

" Who is he? Just spite it out, " Elenore urged, getting impatient . 

" It's that Muggle actor, Alan, " said Seraphina, her head bent low from embarrassment . 

" What ! He is that man? ! Why didn't you showed me his face before? He is so handsome, " Elenore exclaimed . 

" Shoot, Eley, don't act like I didn't tell ya how handsome he was. " Seraphina tried being casual . 

" I thought he was another handsome guy but he is a sex bomb, girl ," squeaked Elenore . 

" You have a boyfriend, girl ! At least don't crush upon another man now! " yelled Seraphina. 

" Shut up, you geek, " snapped Elenore, the photo of the muggle still in her hand , her eyes locked upon him . Seraphina got up from her seat, snatched the photo from her hand, and placed it on the side table where it was kept earlier . 

" Hey, I was looking at that, " complained Elenore . 

Seraphina ignored her and walked back to her armchair, burying her nose in the book again . Elenore raised her hand to grab the photo again, but Seraphina snapped, " Don't even think of touching it again. " 

" Ok , ok fine I won't, " replied Elenore in a bored tone. " Well, now I know why you find Lockhart so common. He surely is boring in comparison to this guy, " she continued . 

" Please, at least stick to one person at a time, Eley ." Seraphina almost yelled . 

After blabbering for half an hour, Elenore left her chamber , but for Seraphina, that half an hour felt like an eternity, not because she didn't liked Elenore's topic of discussion, but her mind was stuck upon her Defense Against the Dark Art's teacher . Why did he treated her so differently ? He never even glanced upon his fangirls, but instead gave a lot of attention to her—a girl who almost hated him . She wasn't the most attractive or beautiful girl in the bunch, so why was he so different with her ? The thoughts were tormenting her internally . 

A thought came to her . Should she look into Lockhart? Maybe she would be able to get an answer to her questions . But looking into someone without any grave reason but only for personal reasonsissue was wrong . That was not what she promised to her mom . 

She sighed out of frustration . Looking at her watch on her wrist , she saw that it was 6:30 . It was the time for the party hosted by Professor Binns, the only ghost teacher . He was retiring in two days. A new teacher would be coming to teach History of Magic . 

ልረልክ 

The Great Hall was packed with students that morning . Seraphina pushed her way through the Hall towards the Prefect’s table . Her eyes fell upon the Head Table where a new face was visible sitting next to Batman, who didn't looked amused by her whole existence. She slipped down next to Jason Botts, who's eyes were locked upon the new teacher . 

" What's up Jason ? Enjoying the sight? " teased Seraphina . 

" The new teacher is super hot, " Jason replied. His mouth fell open in awe . 

" At least leave a teacher alone, " said Seraphina in a irritated tone . 

The rest of breakfast went by silently . She stole a quick glance at the Head Table for the new teacher, but her eyes couldn't leave Batman's face . He had a hint of scarlet on his cheeks and he clearly looked embarrassed . 

What! Batman's blushing ! 

ልረልክ 

The rest of the week went by silently only if you ignored the nasty comments from Lockhart's fangirls . The new teacher, Miss Hudson, was a young , cheerful woman who taught decently . She wasn't exceptional at her subject like Professor Snape and Professor Flitwick, but she was better than Professor Lockhart . One thing was clear, she was just like any other girl she studied with. She fancied Lockhart and was a bit immature with some topics . But on the whole, she held a decent class to attend, and that was fine with Seraphina . But there was another thing she observed; She was always trying to grab Batman's attention, and he ignored her . Maybe he was already in a relationship which was why he was ignoring her . 

" Hey, Jason, is Professor Snape single ?" Seraphina whispered in the back of the Care of Magical Creatures class . Professor Hagrid was telling them about a Centaur . 

" Yes, but why are you asking? " he replied not looking at her . 

" Oh... I just noticed something strange ." 

" What? " 

" He is single, and Miss Hudson seems interested in him , so why does he ignore her? " 

" Because he is a grumpy git who can never love, and Miss Hudson… she is just too hot for him, " he said with irritation. 

" Hey, don't be so hard and disrespectful. I It's Miss Hudson who is interested, not Professor Snape, " she snapped. " And Professor Snape is a very handsome man, for your information, Mr. Jason Botts. " 

"So, you have a crush upon that greasy bat of the dungeons? " chuckled Jason . 

" No, I don't. Finding a man handsome doesn't makes him my crush Jason, " snapped Seraphina . 

" Oho... so who is your crush, then, Miss Barclay? " he asked in pretend seriousness . 

Her face turned scarlet , she blushed furiously at the question . 

" Ummm… he is a Muggle, " she replied. " So, what was Professor Hagrid teaching? I missed a bit. " She tried to dodge his question by changing the topic . 

" Just spit it out. I won't leave you ‘til I know his name ." 

" Alan, " she said as she looked down." His name is Alan. Now let's study, and no more questions about my crush, " she snapped. 

After the description, Hagrid called out for the Centaur named Aslan . An enormous figure emerged from the forest . A half-man, half-horse stood in front of the class, his hair jet black and his white eyes shone like pearls in the sunlight . Everyone was taken by his beauty . His lips were pursed and his eyes were wide open. He looked normal to everyone, but only Seraphina could see the pain he was masking . Seraphina stepped ahead, pushing aside her classmates . Now she stood close to the Centaur, who looked at her small figure from his pearl-like eyes . He shot a glance at the sky in search of something . And again his eyes were on the small figure in front of him . He bowed low to her , all the while the class stepped back and gasped at his act . Hagrid took a step, but Seraphina raised a hand, indicating him to stop . The white pearl eyes of the Centaur met Seraphina’s blue orbs . He noticed her raven-black orbs turning crystal blue, but he didn't react, as if knowing why it was happening. They all stayed like that for like several minutes when Seraphina broke the silence 

" Brave Aslan, " she called his name softly. " I know you are in pain; I can help you. Please let me do so. " She spoke softly so only the tall centaur could hear her voice . 

Taking a step forward in his direction, she held out her hand for him to take, which he did . They both held each other's shoulder and bowed touching their foreheads in the process. I It was a centaur's handshake . She placed a hand on his torso which was swollen. He growled in pain . She examined his swollen torso with her hands and turned towards Hagrid . 

" Can you please owl Madam Pomphrey for some bone reconstructing potion, Professor Hagrid? " she requested silently. 

Hagrid was fast with his actions . He knew Centaur's never trusted wizards, and this was the first time a witch—a student--was this close to one . They never shared their sorrows , happiness , or pain with anyone . 

Poppy came running with the vials of potion, but Aslan growled as she approached him . Seraphina calmed him and took the vials from her hand . She asked him to gulp down the contents of the purple bottle as she poured the contents of the black one over his swollen torso and rubbed it gently, trying not to increase the pain . Everyone watched, but no one spoke a word . The young witch was nursing a Centaur . 

The time was over, so Hagrid dismissed the class, but it was the last hour so no one left. Everybody just watched her . After 25 minutes, the Centaur's rib was fixed, his swelling reduced, and a human expression came over his beautiful face . 

" How do you feel now, brave Aslan? ?" She asked him, rubbing his soft hairs . 

" I don't know how you knew about my pain, but the stars told me an angel was coming my way, so I believed them. Thank you, sweet Angel " He spoke for the first time since his arrival . His husky voice was melodious and suited his aura . 

" I am no angel. I just knew you were in pain, and I helped, that's all, " replied Seraphina silently. Scarlet brushed her cheeks . 

" May I, Angel ? " he asked for permission taking her hands in his . He brought her hands to his lips and caressed the back of her hand with those feather-soft lips . She blushed furiously now . All eyes were on her and the Centaur . 

" I am no angel, Aslan, " she said, her head bowed low . 

" Yes, you surely are, " he said . Turning towards the forest, he leapt and then vanished into the thick woods . 

ልረልክ 

The whole school was talking about the witch who had helped a Centaur . Hagrid was so proud that he had a student in his class who understood those creatures just like him . She didn't see them as beasts like others did . 

ልረልክ 

The classes were just like before for Severus . Those dunderheads came , made a mess and left . Nothing much happened, but Lockhart was bothering him . That stupid man was distressing Seraphina . A month had passed after that ceremony night, and he didn't know what to feel about the girl. She was smart , intelligent , fierce, and took her own stand, but she was always so kind to everyone . How could she be kind to people who didn’t deserved her warmth? Either she was doing it all on purpose or there was something she was hiding . Nobody cared for others in this cruel world . 

But there was one person whom he want to stay away from--Jane . That new teacher was always trying to make conversation with him . She was beautiful. Actually she was exceptionally beautiful, but there was nothing special about her. And he was sure if he told her about the curse and Seraphina she would overreact and leave . 

Although you couldn’t say Severus was in love with Seraphina, but he did like and respect her . She seemed to be too mature to be a 16 year-old, but she was unique . Her warmth , eagerness to learn , and the discernible way she carried herself all made her so likable for him, or maybe the curse was forcing him to love her . Whatever it was, he liked it . 

That night Severus was on rounds to make sure that all were in their dorms and no one was seeking out some fun . Walking silently, he heard a call for him . 

" Severus , please wait for me. " 

He stood there rooted to his place . He knew who was coming. It was Jane Hudson . 

As she reached him, she glanced at his face, panting . 

" Severus, there is something I want to tell you, " said Jane . 

" And what is it, Miss Hudson? " snapped Severus. 

" You know from the first day I came here I felt something for you. The way you walk , and talks is just so much captivating " her voice calming with ever word . But he stiffened, knowing very well what was coming . " I don't know how to tell you but I... I really love you Severus .“ 

Seraphina's heart skipped a beat . She stood at the corner of the corridor, hidden due to darkness . She didn't want to listen but she also didn't want to interrupt their moment . She was on rounds looking after the school , a duty she had to oblige being a prefect . She had ditched her school uniform and was wearing a Muggle jeans , a t-shirt, and a hand-knitted grey sweater . 

So, she had been correct. Miss Hudson liked Batman . She turned to take a long walk, not wanting to watch any love scene . But before she could leave, she heard the dark , chocolatey voice of Batman . 

" I am sorry, Miss Hudson , but I don't have any sort of feelings for you. I respect you a lot, but I am sorry, I can never love you, " said Severus calmly . 

" But… but why…? " questioned Miss Hudson, her voice breaking . She was about to cry . 

Seraphina, being rooted to her place, heard it all . So, Batman must be in love with someone . 

" I love someone else, " he said plainly . 

" But what's wrong with me? Am I not beautiful or well dressed? " snapped Miss Hudson furiously . 

" You are beautiful, and I never denied that, but I love someone who is the most adorable witch I have ever met . Her individuality is her strength, and I love her for that, " he lied . He liked Seraphina but there was nothing like love between them . 

The three of them stood rooted to their position for God knows how long . An awkward silence took over them . So, Seraphina decided to break it . She stepped forward walking towards where she first had indented to go . Both her professors glanced at her . 

" What are you doing here so late at night, Seraphina? " yelled Miss Hudson . 

" I was making rounds, it's part of my duties, ma'am, " she replied calmly . 

She understood her feelings and angry reaction, but Jane's behavior angered Severus . She was angry with him, so why was she taking that out on Seraphina? That was so immature . 

Seraphina walked past them . She saw tears in her female professor's eyes . Reaching her dorm, she threw herself on the bed . 

Who is the lucky lady Batman loves with such loyalty? her mind wondered . Sleep didn't knock her out that night , which wasn’t unusual. So she wondered the whole night about Batman's girlfriend . 

ልረልክ 

A/N: As this all takes place in the Harry Potter universe, there is no movie series . Alan here is Alan Rickman . He is in his 40's in this fanfiction . Severus Snape and Alan Rickman resemble each other in looks in this fanfiction.


	8. Chapter - 8 The Melodious Princess

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Why has the Room of Requirements opened for Severus Snape ? What is that , that he needs ?

Time passed as it always does . All classes were going well except for History of Magic. Miss Hudson was worse than ever after professor Snape rejected her. She yelled and lost her temper at least five times a class on count . For Seraphina, it was immature behavior, but she tried hard to ignore it . Severus had similar thinking , but he couldn't blame Jane like Seraphina could . He had joined the Death Eaters to win back Lily's affection . He had no right to judge anyone especially after what he had done , so he did what he knew best--ignore Jane's hateful stares and keep as far from her as possible . 

Nobody in the school knew about the proposal drama that had happened in the corridor between Batman and Miss Jane . Seraphina hadn’t uttered a word to anyone about it. She didn't want her professors to be the hot topic for gossip . After all, love and choosing the correct life partner is a personal matter. She didn't want everyone discussing such a sensitive matter and passing judgement on Batman . So, she buried yet another person’s secret in her heart . 

A beautiful Sunday arrived yet again at Hogwarts . When the last sun-rays of the day kissed the heartland, students were on the school grounds talking , sitting and enjoying the dying sunlight . Severus had no time for idle sitting and chatting . He was already having a bad day. The homework students submitted was horrible except for a few students who actually cared enough to listen to him in the class, and far worse, Jane had almost thrown a tantrum in Albus' office that morning for no reason at all . One thing was clear, he was in a bad—no horrendous mood--unwelcoming enough that he would take away a lot of house points if any student even crossed his path right now . 

He walked by the empty corridor of the huge castle when a raucous creaking interrupted him . He scanned the corridor for any student, but it was uninhabited, however a big gate appeared in front of him where a bare wall had stood a few seconds ago . He knew what it was--the Room of Requirement . But it opened only when a person badly required something unavailable to them . So why did it open for him? He didn't needed anything more than a strong fire whiskey right now . He opened the door silently to look inside and knew what the Room had for him. Expecting a goodly bottle of fire whiskey, he was taken aback by what he saw and especially what he heard . A girl was sitting on a high wooden stool, her back facing him . Her arms moved persistently . The room was filled with the enticing music of a contrabass and a pulchritudinous voice complementing it . A girl was singing in front of Severus in the Room of Requirement, and he liked it. The divine voice was mesmerizing. Severus felt bewitched by the voice. All he wanted to do was listen to her for eternity . Fire whiskey , Jane , anger , and the students slowly faded away from his mind . The girl was singing something he had never heard before, but it was the most beautiful music he head ever listen to in his life . Leaning against the wall, he listened to the girl singing. 

Will the faithful be rewarded?  
When we come to the end  
Will I miss the final warning?  
From the lie that I have lived  
Is there anybody calling?  
I can see the soul within  
And I am not worthy  
I am not worthy of this

Are you with me after all?  
Why can't I hear you?  
Are you with me through it all?  
Then why can't I feel you?

Stay with me don't let me go  
Because there's nothing left at all  
Stay with me don't let me go  
Until the ashes of eden fall

Will the darkness fall upon me?  
When the air is growing thin?  
Will the light begin to pull me?  
To its everlasting will  
I can hear the voices haunting  
There is nothing left to fear  
And I am still calling  
I am still calling to you

Are you with me after all?  
Why can't I hear you?  
Are you with me through it all?  
Then Why can't I feel you?

Stay with me don't let me go  
Because there's nothing left at all  
Stay with me don't let me go  
Until the ashes of eden fall

Don't let go

Don't let go  
Don't let go  
Don't let go  
Don't let go  
Don't let go  
Why can't I hear you?  
Stay with me don't let me go?  
Because there's nothing left at all  
Stay with me don't let me go  
Until the ashes of eden fall  
Heaven above me  
Take my hand  
Shine until there's nothing left but you  
Heaven above me  
Take my hand  
Shine until there's nothing left but you.

The melodious tune ended; the mesmerizing voice wasn't falling on his ears anymore , but it didn't seem as if he even noticed it fade away . He was still bewitched by what his ears had just listened to . As the music faded away, he was soon back to his normal self , his bad mood dissolving away . Wanting to know who was the possessor of that beauteous voice, he clapped his hands softly in appreciation , wanting to grab her attention . The girl turned, facing him , a startled expression on her face at the sight of him . It was Seraphina . Her small face scarlet as she jumped off the stool, straightening her clothes as she stood in front of him . One thing was clear to Severus; she hadn’t been expecting anybody to be listening to her. They both stood like that for God-knows-how- long when Severus spoke . His deep , cavernous voice filled the room .

" That was beautiful, Miss Barclay, " complemented Severus .

" Thanks, Professor Snape," she replied, her head low with embarrassment.

Sensing her embarrassment, he spoke, " You sing very melodiously, Miss Barclay, and it was the most beautiful music I have ever heard in my entire life. " 

" Oh... I am not that good. This song is very beautifully soulful in itself, " she replied, blushing furiously. 

" That may be true, but you sang it with your heart, I have to say. " 

" Thanks, Professor. "

" Well, how did you find this place ?" he asked, realizing that she must have wanted the contrabass so badly that the room had provided her with it .

" Actually, Professor, one day I was on rounds after hours when suddenly the door appeared out of nowhere on the wall. When I entered it, there was a contrabass lying on the floor for me to play . So, I started coming here everyday to play and lighten up my mood, " she replied shyly. "I wanted to ask you one thing, Professor--I hope you don't mind " 

" Yes, Miss Barclay? "

" What was your requirement ? "

The Room of Requirement had opened to him , he found Seraphina inside with a contrabass. Was Seraphina his requirement? The thought struck him . No this couldn't be possible her music had calmed him. it was her music that he required badly , he thought . 

" Ummmm… maybe I needed some good and heartwarming music, " he replied hesitantly .

She nodded at her professor's answer . 

Holy jinxes Batman listened to her singing . 

" So, you like playing instruments? " he asked .

" Actually, my parents wanted me to learn the contrabass. They both were great patrons of music," she replied, looking at the large contrabass she was holding.

" They were…?" he asked hesitantly .

" They are no more, " she replied silently, still trying to avoid any sort of eye contact .

" I am so sorry for your loss, Miss Barclay. " He regretted asking her the question . 

He saw how It saddened her . For the first time in the month since her arrival, he saw her looking sad . She was usually the one spreading warmth and happiness , lightening the mood . He wanted to know with whom she was living now, but he couldn't bring himself to drag this topic further .

"I think I should leave now. Good night, Professor, " she spoke .

" Good night, Miss Barclay. Can you tell me when will you come here again to sing? " he asked . He instantly regretted saying it , the girl looked confused . 

" Why, Professor? " she questioned hesitantly .

" I liked your singing; I just wanted to hear more of it. " 

" I don't know when I will come next, or when it will open up for me , but I may owl you if it's okay? " she asked, her eyes watery .

" I'll wait for your owl. " 

They both left the room and went their own way . As she headed in the opposite direction from him, he saw her hiding her face , but his eyes still caught the sight of the small tear rolling down her cheeks .

Severus wanted to regret his words, but his heart didn't felt like doing so . He wanted to listen more to her very badly . Now there was only one thing he was looking forward too , her owl . But he had made her cry, and that thought tormented him.

ልረልክ

Batman was such a gentleman . She was surely not half as good as he claimed her to be . But the owl thing bothered her. Was he joking or was he serious? She rubbed the lonely tear which had managed to escape her eyes as she thought about her professor, Batman. 

ልረልክ

Halloween knocked at the doorsteps in no time . The Headmaster was hosting a costume party to promote Wizard-Muggle relations . 

Severus had to attend another boring , childish , non-sensible party . Albus asked him to wear a costume, too , but he clearly indicated that he would by no means wear a costume and make fun of himself in front of the students . 

Excitement was in the air at Hogwarts . Student chatted constantly about what they were wearing for the party . Almost everyone was certain about what they were going to wear except for Seraphina . She tried many transfiguration charms to make something innovative for her but despite being a Ravenclaw she failed to conjure up with a outstanding dress from the Halloween party . So, now only one day was left for the party, and she was without a costume . Sitting at the prefects’ table eating her breakfast, she wondered if it would disappoint Headmaster Dumbledore if a prefect was not in costume . While she was busy guessing the Headmaster's reaction, four owls came flying in the Great Hall with a big , brown, square package and dropped it in front of her . A letter was also brought by another owl . Seraphina quickly charmed the box to shrink and put it in her pocket, not wanting to grab any attention and started reading the letter . 

Dear Seraphina ,

How are you ? You didn't wrote a letter in a long time . How's your new school ? 

Well, I sensed your uncertainties about a costume . Don't worry, I have sent a beautiful one for you. Wear it, and the boys will be flattering to you . No need to thank me for it. Do send me a photograph of you in it . 

With lots of love,

Yours lovingly ,  
Rajnandani Kumari 

Rajnandani was her uncle's wife . She was a very sweet princess--literally . The gifted witch belonged to the Indian royal wizarding family . She had a gift no other wizard had. The Princess could sense the uncertainties and fears of others . It helped her a lot while facing the Death Eaters’ attack nine years back . 

"So, what was that box for? " Elenore asked as they walked towards the Potions class . 

" Nothing. I just got my costume for the party. " 

" What seriously?! What is it? please show me! " 

" No, you’ll see it at the party. "

Elenore couldn't protest further because they had reached their Potions class . 

Seraphina was eager to see what her aunt has send her, too . After attending all her classes, she almost ran to her dorm . Locking her room, she took out the small box and placed it on the bed . Pointing her wand towards it, she charmed it back to its original size. Tearing off the brown paper, she opened the box . A note was placed on top of the fabric . Picking it up, she read it.

" This is what an Indian princess wears. "

Wow! She would be wearing an ethnic Indian dress for the party . Inside the box was a It was the most beautiful dress she had ever seen in her whole life . She was excited for the party for the first time in a long time . since it had been announced

ልረልክ  
  
Looking at himself in the mirror one last time, Severus walked out of his chamber towards the Great Hall where the party was going to be held. As usual, he was clad in black--nothing much different from what he wore everyday . As he reached the hall, he saw students in all sorts of costumes. Walking briskly towards Albus and Minerva, who were also in costumes, he greeted them .

" Good evening, Albus and Minerva. " 

" Good evening, Severus, " both replied together .

" So, who are you dressed up as Severus? " teased Albus .

" Myself, " snapped Severus .

"and a flawless rendition of you, if I do say so myself." teased Albus , his eyes twinkling from behind his creasent moon glasses as always .

The evening started . Everyone was dressed up in costumes and were treating themselves to loads of sweets . Severus' eyes scanned the hall for someone , but she wasn't there . While looking for her his eyes fell upon girl entering the hall . His eyes widened at the sight before him . He Seraphina wearing something he had never seen before long, pink skirt which flowed from the waist to the floor with a magenta-colored, sleeveless top covered her chest and a little bit of her upper torso leaving her waist bare . A piece of heavily embroidered net was also there to be hung over the shoulder. The rest was left bare--a feast for the eyes. Wearing light make-up with her black specs placed on top of her nose , her hair was tied in a messy yet tidy bun . He couldn't believe his eyes. She was wearing something so bold, yet so elegant . She was always beautiful, but not exceptionally so, but today she was looking like an angel walking on Earth. She walked towards her friends who wore the same expression and him . Actually, the whole Great Hall was wearing the same expression . No one had ever seen a dress like that, and the way Seraphina was carrying it made it even more prepossessing . 

" Someone looks bewitched by a beauty," said Albus . His words tugged Severus to reality .

" Ahem, " Severus cleared his throat. " I am not bewitched by anyone Albus. " 

" It don't seem so, Severus. You have been constantly staring at her. "

Severus chose to ignore him . 

"Oh my God, why didn't you tell me you were wearing this, girl?!" squeaked Elenore .

" Surprise! " Seraphina chuckled .

" No, seriously, you look damn hot, Al " said Lucifer .

" You three are looking amazing, too, " praised Seraphina. " George would you mind telling me who are you dressed as? " she continued .

" I am dressed as Bond , James Bond, " he mimicked Sean Connery , the Muggle actor who played the role. 

Elenore was dressed as Willie from the Indiana Jones series, and Lucifer complemented her by dressing as Indiana Jones . The four of them were having the time of their life stuffing their mouths with sweets, drinking loads of butter beer, and dancing . Severus watched all from the corner . He wanted to talk to Seraphina badly . He actually didn't know what he wanted to talk about; he just wanted to talk to her , be near her , look at her more closely .

" Now time for a couples dance. Come on, love birds the floor is yours, " Albus announced with a chuckle. His eyes twinkling from his half - moon specs . 

A lot of students groaned because they were in no mood to dance romantically, and above all, they didn't have anyone to dance with, and Seraphina was one of them . The couples took the floor, dancing slowly . Lucifer took Elenore with him and George took a girl from his year. Seraphina was left alone . A boy or two asked her but she declined them. She was in no mood to dance in this dress . Suddenly she felt someone behind her . 

" May I have the pleasure of dancing with the most beautiful girl of the night ?" the voice of Gilderoy Lockhart came from behind her back . She turned, facing him , her cheeks brushed with scarlet .

" Ummmm... I don't know if student- teacher dances are allowed, Professor Lockhart, " replied Seraphina, uncertainty heavily reflecting in her voice as she spoke . 

" But I am sure it is allowed," said Lockhart. 

She was about to protest, but he held her wrist and dragged her to the dance floor, placed her one hand on his shoulder, holding the other . He wrapped his other hand around her bare waist , his hand caressing her skin . Like a reaction to every other action of his, her eyes widened . Her muscles clenched at his touch . She danced fluidly even with a stiffened body . 

" Well, whom are you dressed up as Seraphina? " asked Lockhart with a smile .

" An Indian princess, Professor, " she replied .

" Oh… a beautiful Indian princess, I see. " A dark look came over his blue eyes . 

" So, do you have a boyfriend, Seraphina? " 

" No , but why are you asking Professor? " 

" I just wanted to know why a beautiful witch like you single. "

" People don't like bookworms much, Professor " 

They both danced in silence . The Couple's dance was over, and Seraphina ran out of Lockhart's arms as soon as the song had ended. 

Severus saw how Lockhart had danced with Seraphina . She had been uncomfortable and still Lockhart had forced her to dance . Anger rose in him as he saw her running from his arms . 

" The next Couple's dance will be in 25 minutes, " Headmaster Dumbledore announced . 

The dance with Professor Lockhart had been the most awkward dance of her entire life . But she didn't let it ruin her night, so she enjoyed it with her three friends . 

The Couple's dance arrived again, and the floor emptied . The same couples came to dance, but this time more teachers joined . Headmaster Dumbledore danced with Professor McGonagall , a 6th year asked Miss Hudson for a dance and she agreed. rest of the teachers looked for partners and danced, enjoying their time . 

Seraphina's eyes looked up for Lockhart. She tried to stay away from him as much as possible . When she saw him approaching her again, she almost ran., she didn’t know what excuse she would make for not dancing with him if he reached her . While she was busy trying to think of excuses, she bumped in someone . 

" Be careful my child, " said Headmaster Dumbledore. " Are you avoiding anyone ?" His eyes twinkling from his half moon glasses .

" Oh… I am so sorry, Headmaster Dumbledore. Please forgive me " she apologized " No, I am not avoiding anyone, " she lied .

" So, would you mind dancing with me? " 

" Yes, please, " Seraphina agreed . 

Dancing with the Headmaster was way better than the dance with Professor Lockhart . She didn't knew why, but professor Lockhart's touch always caused her huge discomfort and distressed her . 

After dancing for a short while headmaster escorted her off the dance floor towards Batman .

" Ah...I am really growing old , I think I should take rest, " complained Headmaster Dumbledore.

" Yes, of course, Headmaster. "

" But before resting, I would like to find you another dance partner. "

"There is no need for it, Headmaster ," she replied hesitantly .

" Yes, there is Seraphina. A beautiful young witch without a dance partner looks very odd. " 

Seraphina blushes furiously at the comment .

" Oh, Severus, I hope you don't mind dancing with Seraphina. She has no partner, " the Headmaster called for Severus who stood in the corner .

" Oh, there is no need to worry Professor Snape. The song has almost ended, and my friends are waiting for me, " Seraphina explained hurriedly, not wanting to dance with another professor of hers . "Thank you, Headmaster, for the lovely dance. " she told him before vanishing into the crowd .

Severus looked after her retreating form. She hadn’t wanted to dance with him . Why would she dance him She was beautiful , young , and admirable, and what was distinctive in him? Nothing . He was just a old , grumpy , greasy git . For the first time in years he felt jealous of anyone . Albus and Lockhart had danced with her, and he felt jealous of them . Everything lost its charm at the party for Severus. He felt unaccepted and unnecessary, so he decided to leave the dance. Exiting the Hall, Severus was marching towards the dungeon when his eyes fell upon someone from the huge window pane of the corridor . He might have ignored her if she had been some other girl, but he couldn't because he saw that it was Seraphina in the ground all by herself . The urge to talk to her was stabbing him hard in the chest . So instead of marching towards the dungeons he went for the young witch standing in the under the moonlit sky . Seraphina seemed to be in deep thought because she hadn’t noticed him coming .

" May I ask what are you are doing here all alone when a huge party is going on in the Great Hall, Miss Barclay? " asked Severus softly . 

" Oh, Professor, I didn't see you coming, " she cried. " Actually, I just felt a bit suffocated inside, so I thought of getting some fresh air. " 

Her words fell on his ears but he didn't hear a single word she spoke . She stood in front of him in her bold, yet elegant dress , her bare skin shining under the moonlit sky . He didn't knew what he felt , his heart was racing thunderously as he tried hard to take his eyes off her, but he couldn't . 

" I am sorry, professor, for denying the dance proposed by Headmaster Dumbledore. Actually, a lot of people were already staring at me as I danced with him, and I didn't want more eyes on me , I hope you will forgive me, " softly spoke Seraphina . Her voice tugged him out of his train of thoughts .

" It's fine, Miss Barclay, but you shouldn't let others bother you; and may I ask why were they eying you? " Severus asked, collecting himself.

" Actually… the dance with Professor Lockhart grabbed a lot of unwelcomed attention, and some girls weren't happy with it, " she replied hesitantly .

" So what, Miss Barclay ? You can't let others ruin such a beautiful night of yours," he replied in a sharp tone.

" The truth is, Professor , the dance with him actually bothered me more. " Her head bowed low as the words left her lips .

" May I ask why ? " 

" Please don't judge me, Professor Snape, but Professor Lockhart treats me differently. He gives me more attention, and that bothers me sometimes. " Her words were no more than whispers . 

" I understand your uncertainties, Miss Barclay, but maybe he just likes you more than other students. You know just like having a favorite student, " he tried to reconcile her . But deep down he knew Lockhart made her uncomfortable . 

" Is there anything he has done that bothers you ? " He questioned .

" No nothing like that , I think I am just overthinking professor " 

" Maybe or maybe not”

“Well, if you want, I can talk to Professor Lockhart about it, " he proposed .

" No , no Professor. If I feel like it, I will talk to him myself. Well, thank you for showing concern, " she said. " Thank you, Professor Snape, for listening to me. It feels light and fresh after letting out what's in my heart, " she continued .

" No need to thank me for the little help I provided you with," said Severus. " Well, what is that you are wearing ? I have never seen anyone wearing anything like it." he said .

" Its what an Indian princess wears, sir. My aunt sent me this. " She blushed. 

" Is she Indian ?" 

" Yes, she is an Indian princess. " 

" Well, I have to say it looks angelic on you, " he commented .

" Thanks, Professor, " she thanked him with a smile .

Both stood in silence under the moonlit sky, but the silence was not awkward .

" I think I should leave now. Elenore and Lucifer might be looking for me, " she said as she broke the silence . 

He nodded to her, and she left silently . 

Severus stood there for some time, thinking how he should shatter that handsome jaw of Lockhart, but what was going on deep inside his heart was something else . Seraphina had denied to dance with him because she had already been upset, not because she felt him to be lacking. There was no gain in going back to his chamber, so he headed back to the Great Hall to enjoy the night and to watch her enjoying hers . 

A smile crawled upon his face as he thought about her, but he didn't realized it until half of the Hall almost fainted seeing him smile . Seraphina was neither among the ones who almost fainted nor the ones who were shocked, but she gave him a very warm and welcoming smile . Warmth flushed in his body at her smile, and he smiled back at her .

___________________

Author's Note -

The cover of this Chapter is the dress Seraphina wore to the Halloween party .


	9. Chapter - 9 The Gift

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Why is Gilderoy Lockhart gifting Seraphina Barclay such a precious gift ?

The corridor of the castle looked so eerie without students rattling around shouting and running . Without those fits of laughter , the unnatural voices made themselves heard, which alarmed her .   
Making rounds afterhours usually bored Seraphina; after all she literally did nothing in those rounds . Sometimes she caught some first-years sneaking out to roam the castle, but she let them go with a mild warning. Those innocent kids never snuck out again . 

But no living or dead person bothered her more than the poltergeist Peeves . Pranking , scaring and appearing out of nowhere when she strolled down the corridor were his favorite things to do . 

To kill the boredom of these rounds, she mostly listened to songs on her Muggle iPod . But that night her iPod was with George in the hospital wing . Fever had gotten him bed-ridden , so she had given it to him to kill time and boredom while he was lying alone in the hospital wing . 

Silently walking down the corridor which lay in dead silence , a sound grabbed her attention . She stood rooted in place, looking for the direction from which the sound was coming . Scanning the corridor, her eyes fell upon the slightly open door of the classroom in front of her . She peeped in from the narrow opening to find her History of Magic teacher, Miss Jane Hudson, sitting on the students bench weeping badly . She huffed, wiping her tears, but they flowed down her cheeks anyway . Her eyes and cheeks were red due to God-knows-how-many hours of crying . Seraphina felt bad for her;, she knew why she was weeping . Because of Batman . But he couldn't be blamed. He loved someone else, and he loved her truly, with loyalty . Seraphina entered the class silently . Tip-toeing towards her teacher, she sat in front of her without the woman noticing . Miss Hudson was too deep in her own sorrows to notice the world around her. 

" You know something, Miss Hudson, " softly spoke Seraphina. Her words were no more than a whisper . Miss Jane raised her head, looking at the young Ravenclaw sitting in front of her. Seraphina's voice soothed her. 

"Sometimes we think a lot about what we want from life, but life has different plans for us . I know why you are crying, and I won't ask you to not to. After all, you have every right to feel sad and express your emotions ." 

Seraphina's black orbs locked on the wrecked face of her professor in front of her . Her eyes conveyed no expression, just her empty orbs looked at Jane . Jane didn't know what she wanted to say , although her eyes said nothing, but still those eyes were warm and welcoming . 

" I know what happened between you and Professor Snape. I was there, and I listened to every word . But please don't think I was spying or anything; it's just that I happen to stumble upon the corridor at the same time. I think you don't remember me being there because you were very upset ," Seraphina continued quietly. 

Her voice was so soothing to Jane . " I know it's hard for you, and that you love Professor Snape but sometimes… " Seraphina paused . Her mind quibbled on whether she should say what was inside her or not . 

" What... what sometimes, Seraphina? " Miss Jane asked desperately . 

" Miss Hudson, sometimes it's not necessary that the one we love feels the same for us . Every person in this world loves, but not all get loved back from the person they love . And I know how it feels , it's very hard to move on with that deprived feeling, but we have to, because life doesn't stop because of one person . We can't ignore all those people in our life who just want to see a smile on your face . And maybe, you never know, you might cross paths with someone who loves you so truly that you forget the pain this rejection has given you." 

Seraphina's words made an alleviating music with the sound of wind . 

" I heard what Professor Snape said to you, and I can tell he wasn't lying. His words came from the depth of his heart, and I felt the gravity of his words. You know, I can say a very good man will surely come in the life of a beautiful witch like you, Miss Hudson ." she continued in her soft whispers. 

Tears were no longer flowing down Jane’s eyes. Severus was not all over her mind for the first time in a long time . Although what Seraphina had said to her was hard, it was true, after all, and Jane knew that . Severus didn’t love her, and she could not do anything about that. She couldn't make him love her anyhow . Maybe what Seraphina had said was right . She felt a warm ray of hope shining within her . Never, even in her most bizarre dream, had Jane thought a student would give her mature advice like that . Seraphina hadn’t ignored her and left her to weep, nor did she trash talk about Severus to please her , like her mother would have done . Seraphina had just slipped in the room quietly and told her what she hadn’t wanted to hear , ignoring what the facts were. Seraphina hadn’t told anyone what happened between Severus and her in the corridor. She hadn’t laughed at her or made fun of her. She’d just tried to tell Jane that it was a waste of time being angry with everyone and throwing tantrums for no reason . Jane collected her thoughts enough to ask Seraphina a question . 

" Who... was the... one you... loved ?" Jane questioned with a cracking voice . 

" Ummmm,,, just... no one…." Seraphina replied, breaking her eye contact with her professor . Scarlet dusted her cheeks . 

" So you... lied to me, " asked Jane . 

" No, actually... he is a Muggle, "said Seraphina looking down at her hands ." Alan... his name is Alan. " 

By now she was blushing furiously. She never felt comfortable letting people know about Alan. 

" A Muggle... ? Are you a Muggle born ?" 

" No, I’m a half blood, actually. My mother was an incredible witch and dad was an amazing Muggle ." Sadness came over her face . 

" Was… ?" a hesitant question came from Jane . 

" They both died, " she said in no more than a whisper . 

" I shouldn't have asked; I am really sorry," Jane said in a regretful tone. 

" It's not your fault, Professor. You didn't know; how could you? " Seraphina replied in an assuring tone . 

" So, was he in your previous school? " Jane asked, trying to change the topic . 

" Oh, no , he was not at St. Michael's." 

" St. Michael's, I’ve never heard of such a magical school. " Jane said with a questioning tone, her brows knotted in confusion. 

" Oh, it was not a magical school, Professor , it was a Muggle school, " she replied . 

" So, where did you study before Hogwarts? You have transferred this year, right? " Jane questioned . 

" It's my first time at a magical school, Professor. Actually, I was home schooled for magic by my mother, and I attended a Muggle school on my father's persuasion, " Seraphina replied . 

" You were home schooled then also you have remarkably better knowledge than students who have studied here from their first year. I am impressed, Seraphina, " Jane commented . 

" My mother was a very good teacher. All credit goes to her, " Seraphina replied with a small smile . It was a sad smile . 

" So, he wasn't at your school and he is a Muggle. Then what exactly does he do? " Jane asked. Suddenly her interest in Alan had flourished . 

" He is an amazing actor, " Seraphina replied shyly . 

They both chatted for an hour before retiring to their respective chambers . Jane found a welcoming warmth in the young Ravenclaw . It was the first time in a long time that she had talked her heart out to someone . The best part of talking to Seraphina was the assurance that she wouldn't judge and gossip about it with her friends . 

The following morning, Jane skipped sitting at the Head table, slipping next to Seraphina on the prefects’ table for breakfast . Everyone in the Great Hall eyed them, but both the ladies ignored them and talked for the whole breakfast . To everyone's amazement, Professor Jane Hudson’s behavior changed . She even greeted Professor Snape cheerfully that morning, which left him baffled . The History of Magic class became more bearable with Jane Hudson in a good mood because that subject itself was deathly boring as it was . What people saw in the Great Hall was enough to tell everyone that it was Seraphina who had lifted the mood of their ill tempered teacher, and everyone was silently thankful to her for that . Severus most of all was thankful to Seraphina because the hateful stares bothered him more than the fact that he was hexed with the Curse of Forbidden Love . 

ልረልክ 

Early winter had knocked on the doors of Hogwarts . The early morning frost and those spine-chilling winds greeted everyone at Hogwarts with no mercy . Seraphina had stopped slipping out of the castle at night due to the coldness . She used to sneak out of the castle and into the Forbidden Forest at least three times a week to kill the long hours of the night, because lying on her bed reading did not always help her when she couldn't sleep . Sometimes she met the Centaurs , Unicorns , Hippogriffs and many more creatures while she visited . Aslan the Centaur even gave her a ride on his back one time, much to the disapproval of his pack . Aslan always regarded her highly because she saved his life. Seraphina had earned another friend . Soon the disapproval for the friendship of a witch and a Centaur faded away when the pack met Seraphina . Her undeniable warmth and her maturity earned her the centaurs respect . 

ልረልክ 

One windy day, Seraphina was alone in the library skimming through the books in the restricted section of the library . Professor Flitwick had signed the permission slip even though she hadn’t asked him. She just wanted to know what was in those books, and here she was looking for a book to read that night. 

" Crimes of Grindelwald " 

The title was written on the book with gold that was faded. She dusted the book off as she pulled it out of the shelf. A portrait of a man was printed on it, but something was different about that book. The man on the cover was not moving like it usually did in most of the Magical books . The cover of that book was in the Muggle style . The albino man's one orb was black and the other was light grey, almost whitish in color . Grindelwald , she’d heard that name from her mother once while she was teaching her History of Magic . She took the book with her as she sat on the library table so she could read in silence . One habit of her parents, and even Professor Snape, who had known her for barely a month and a half was . the habit of drifting into another world and loosing track of her surroundings and time when she read . Now, once again she became lost in her book. Someone came and sat in front of her which went unnoticed by her . 

" Ahem, " the other occupant of the table cleared his throat to grab her attention , but it went unnoticed again . 

" Seraphina , Seraphina , Seraphina, I think you are a little too busy, " the other occupant filled the thick silence of the table with his words . 

" OH ! “ Seraphina let out a scared cry . She looked up from her book to see the unforgettably irritating smile of Gilderoy Lockhart plastered to his face as he sat in front of her . He was looking at her with his blue orbs . 

" Oh, Professor, it's you. You just scared me, " Seraphina said while trying to calm herself. 

" I am really sorry to have scared you, Seraphina, " he said, sounding not at all apologetic . 

" How can I help you, Professor ?" Seraphina asked because she had no idea of what else should have been said . 

" Nothing, I just came around looking for some books and… someone, " he said, winking at her. 

" So, did you find your books ?" she asked, having no clue where this conversation was leading . 

" No , of course I didn't find my books, but I did find the person I was looking for, " he replied . 

" Good , well may I ask who were you looking for, Professor ?" she asked plainly . 

" You. " 

" Me? I'm sorry, Professor, but why were you looking for me? " she asked , totally baffled by his reply . 

" Oh, actually I need some help from you, Seraphina. I heard many students saying you almost live in this library and know this place better than Madam Pince ever could, so I need you to help me with finding these books, " he said.   
That smile was still plastered to his face, but his tone sounded serious , which it never did while he taught in class . Actually, saying that he taught in class was an insult to teachers like Professor Snape and Professor Flitwick, who actually taught in class . All that happened in his class was listening to his Lockhart Chronicles from Lockhart himself . 

" Ummmm… that's not something I can help with, Professor Lockhart " she said as she shifted uncomfortably on her chair . " Yes, I spend my free time here, but obviously Madam Pince knows it better than I could ever know this place, " she continued , trying to avoid any eye contact with her professor. 

His face fell at her answer, but he was quick to plaster the smile back as he said, " But I feel no one can help me better than you, Seraphina, and I thought you wouldn't mind helping your professor. " 

" I will still advise you to ask for Madam Pince's help, but I don't mind helping you if you need my help, Professor " she said . 

He just wanted her help with some books, that's all , she thought. Denying any further would be disrespectful towards him , after all he was her teacher . 

" Ok so let's begin " he said.   
She noticed his blue eyes darken, which sent a wave of discomfort in her body, but she waved it off . 

They both headed towards the Dark magic section as Lockhart needed books from there . After exploring half the library for his books they were half way down through his list . 

" Seraphina, do you know where I can find a book on the Dark Lord and his Death Eaters? " he asked quietly . 

Seraphina gave him a confused look . Why the hell on this Earth did Lockhart need a book on Lord Voldemort ? 

" Oh, don't worry, you aren't the only one interested in knowing how they all ended, " he chuckled . " I saw you reading the Dark Times of the Dark Lord the other day, " he continued . 

" I was more interested in the part where Professor Snape killed him. I still can't believe I met and got a chance to get taught by the brave man who killed Voldemort," she said excitedly . 

Lockhart's face dropped yet again . He had written twenty books about his brave adventures, but Seraphina liked the Greasy Git who had only killed The Dark Lord . 

" Well, I was about to do so when Professor Snape intruded and took my chance of killing The Dark Lord and adding one more victory over dark magic to my adventures,." he lied with a fake chuckle . 

Seraphina gave him a look of complete skepticism. She didn't say a word, but her gestures were enough for Lockhart to know she didn't believed a word he said . 

" I can see you don't like those adventure stories in which the brave hero saves the day," Lockhart said, gesturing her towards the book shelf . 

" You guessed right, Professor Lockhart. Those stories bore me, " she said casually . 

It was Lockhart's chance to pass her a look of complete skepticism . 

" Girls your age are crazy for those adventure stories of mine," he exclaimed incredulously . 

" I am a bit different - actually a lot different from others, sir. And you know I believe one person alone can't do everything. There are always many people behind the success of a person, " she said casually . 

ልረልክ 

He decided to stay quiet . One thing was certain to Lockhart , Seraphina was nothing like his fan girls . She didn't believed what she read. She was practical and too mature to be fooled easily . But he felt jealous of that Dungeon Bat because Seraphina liked him, not Lockhart.   
  
ልረልክ 

They both were holding books on various topics that Lockhart needed . As they were passing the tall bookshelves that were narrowly stacked close to each other, they heard the sound of moaning. Both gave each other confused looks as they headed towards the second to last book shelf . The moaning sound repeated , this time it was more clear . The sound came form the third to last stack of books . Peeping into the stack, they both saw a Gryffindor girl and a Slytherin boy snogging passionately . Seraphina quicky snapped back , Lockhart was still peeping . A very intimate act was being committed by the other students. It was embarrassing for Seraphina because she was with a teacher and a male teacher at that . She nudged Lockhart lightly and indicated for him to keep walking . 

The darkness in his eyes deepened as he gave her a look she couldn't comprehend well . They both walked past the students silently, but their footsteps were heard by the couple who pulled away at the sight of them passing . 

The second to last aisle of books was very narrow . Entering it, Seraphina started looking for the book on the Dark Lord, trying to ignore any sort of eye contact with her professor . Scarlet dusted over her cheeks as she was looking for the book . She felt her professor's stare on her . They heard the students’ footsteps fade away as the couple ran away from them as fast as possible . 

She found the book. Quickly pulling it out, she turned towards her professor whose eyes were still locked on her . Then came the unexpected . Lockhart burst into fits of laughter . She didn't know the reason for his laughter, but she didn't joined him . 

" Oh my God... why are you so… embarrassed... they were... snogging around in the library... not you… Seraphina," he managed to speak in between his laughter . 

Her face turned a dark shade of scarlet as Lockhart spoke . But he was right. Why was she so embarrassed? She wasn't the one snogging around and getting caught . 

" Oh my God, you should have seen their faces, " he laughed . 

That made her quake into laughter, too. Yes, the face of the couple was worth remembering: as red as a rose as they straightened their clothes . It surely was a funny sight . Seraphina leaned on a bookshelf laughing, so Lockhart seized the moment and leaned on the bookshelf in front of her . They both laughed like that for some time before composing themselves . They didn't want an angry Madam Pince hovering over their heads all the time when they turned up into the library next . 

When their laughter faded and the thick silence of library was back, Seraphina realized one thing. Lockhart was standing less than a foot away from her . She straightened herself, ready to leave the narrow aisle when her arms brushed Lockhart's chest . A weird sensation flowed through her body, but she pushed it aside. They made their way to Madam Pince's desk to get all the books checked out. Seraphina noticed her own book still lying on the table where she’d left it . She stacked it with Lockhart's to get checked out. There were a lot of books he had chosen, so she decided to help him. Seraphina took half the books from him and started walking to his chamber with him . His chamber was large and decorated extravagantly . Just like she had expected from Lockhart, it had large paintings of him posing bravely over a dead werewolf and many more which she didn't even glance at . He invited her in. She denied at first, but he dragged her inside . 

" Thanks for helping me, Seraphina," he thanked her . 

" No need to thank me, sir, " she replied . 

He went in his room and came back out five minutes later with a box in his hand, giving it to Seraphina . Seeing the confused look on her face, he said, "This is the canine of an Albanian werewolf. They are the largest of their kind . While I was in Albania helping those poor villagers who were terrified of him, I heard a tale in which they believed that the canine of a werewolf brings glory to the one possessing it, " he said . 

" So … " Seraphina asked still not getting an idea what her professor wanted from her. 

" I want you to accept this as a gift of gratitude from me, " he said with a wink . 

" That's very sweet of you, Professor, but I can't accept such a precious gift," she said, stretching her hand towards Lockhart to take the box back . 

" But why…?" Lockhart said with pretended sadness. 

" It's a very precious thing which you have received during one of your quests that you say you did . This is yours," Seraphina said as if stating the obvious . 

" Oh, come on, Seraphina. The villagers gifted it to me when I killed that beast for them . They told me that I could give it to someone I cared about and thought about the most . " 

Seraphina stood rooted in place after her professor's words fell on her ears . Ok, now it was time to ask Batman to talk to him . Why the hell did he care for her? She made a decision in her mind . But one question kept bothering her that of all the people who could have cared for her, why it had to be Lockhart . 

Lockhart had other thoughts, taking the box from her hand, he opened it. Inside the black box lay a very sharp and big canine which was polished. It shone brightly in the well-lit chamber . It was cast in black metal with gold dusted on it and was fastened to a long black cord. A small cross was also hanging alongside the canine . He took out the pendent and stepped closer to Seraphina . He slipped the long cord over her small head . Adjusting the necklace around her neck, he winked at her . 

Seraphina quickly stepped back with a gasped . She started to take it off when Lockhart softly held her hand, stopping her from doing so . 

" Seraphina , Seraphina , Seraphina, just accept it because I won't take it back . Just keep it, " he pressed . 

" I... I think I should leave now, Professor. See you at dinner . Thanks for the gift, sir. " 

She hurried as she ran out of his chamber . Lockhart was being a bit too persuasive, and it didn't feel right to Seraphina . 

ልረልክ 

Severus sat at the head table with other teachers . Again he found himself searching for Seraphina in the horde of students ,but she wasn't there. The feast had started, yet she was still not in the Hall . It bothered him . But his worrying fell short as he saw her small figure entering the hall . Her silver badge shone brightly against her raven robes, but one thing shone more brightly against her bosom . Silently making her way to the prefects table she slipped down into her seat . Usually she would have glanced at the head table and would have passed a smile, but today she looked a bit worried to Severus . Her usual warm smile was replaced by an anxious look on her young face . 

Mostly all the teachers ate at the Head table except for Jane. She sometimes slipped next to Seraphina for meals when she looked visibly upset . But no one else tried doing so . 

Silently, Severus ate his dinner and stole a glance or two at Seraphina . 

She was late for dinner, so more than half of the Hall was empty . Sitting alone at the table, she treated herself with the delicacies of the feast, but all seemed tasteless to her . 

After the quick and boring dinner, she started her patrolling duty . Halfway through the patrolling, she heard her name being called in the empty, echoing corridor. Headmaster Dumbledore approached her with a rolled parchment in his hand , his eyes twinkling playfully . 

" Seraphina, I would like you to do me a favor, " he said . 

" Yes, Headmaster Dumbledore? " 

" Mind, deliver this parchment to Professor Snape on my behalf, " he said, outstretching his hand with the roll towards her . 

" It would be my pleasure to help you, Headmaster. I was already on my way to the dungeons," she said . 

" Well, one more thing. This is a very important message, so if he is not there, just enter his chamber and put it on his desk. Could you do that?" 

" But I don't know the password of his chamber, " she added . 

" Oh, it's Lily. Now, please, deliver it to Severus as soon as you can, " he said . 

She reached the dungeon and went straight to Batman's chamber which the Headmaster had told her was at the extreme end of the hallway . She made her way to his chamber easily . A portrait of a man was hung in front of her . He was tall with a muscular build . His long crimson hair fell to his shoulder, and his sapphire eyes looked down at her . 

"A student at this hour? Odd, " his husky voice filled the thick silence of the dungeon . 

" Actually, Headmaster Dumbledore sent me with a message for Professor Snape. " 

He gave her a very disapproving look and said, " Password?" 

" Lily, " she said quietly . 

The portrait swung open as a small dark hallway appeared behind it . Walking through the entrance hole, she expected the other end to be open like it was in the dormitories, but it had another door at the end of the hall . She softly knocked on it . No reply came from behind the door. She knocked again; this time harder . No reply came from the other side yet again, but the door opened a bit, letting her get a view of the chamber. The interior was just the same as she had visualized . A lot of black with Victorian era furniture , just like him . She stepped in silently, looking for her professor, but there was no sign of the man. She could see two doors across the living room which was most probably likely his private room . 

" Professor Snape, " she called for him . Silence. Dead silence in the room . She placed the roll of parchment on his working desk and turned to leave . A creaking sound of a door opening came from behind her back . She turned, expecting her professor to be there . And he was there, but her eyes widened . She looked thunderstruck because what was in front of her eyes was the last thing she could have thought of seeing in the whole world . Her Potions Master stood across the room shirtless with just his trousers on . His right hand was pressing a towel against his left shoulder . The towel was red with his blood . But the towel was the last thing she noticed because she couldn't take her eyes off his bare body . His chest was broad , his torso toned, and his arms muscular . But it was scarred . A lot of scars covered his chest , arms and torso . But then also his body looked good . Actually, even after being covered with scars, his body was attractive . A perfect body . 

His reaction was not much different from hers . He was shirtless in front of a student, and of all students, it was Seraphina Barclay . Wow, what luck . Suddenly, the stinging pain disappeared as he stood in front of her, rooted to his place . Both of their minds went numb . 

ልረልክ 

Severus had been walking down to the dungeons after a long and boring dinner . Alone in the corridor, he headed straight to his chamber when he had felt a stinging pain in his left shoulder , on his torso, and upper back . A very deep gash had appeared on his shoulder which was the only mark visible to him . He’d looked around for the person who had done it, but hadn’t seen any sign of any living thing in that gloomy corridor of the dungeons . He had entered his chamber, running straight towards his room. The cut had been deep and painful . A lot of blood had flowed out of the gash, soaking his white-silk shirt and his frock coat . He had thrown them on his armchair as he had searched for something to stop the bleeding. He finally had pressed a towel against the gash, but the bleeding had refused to stop . He had needed his Potions . So, he had opened the door of his room to go to the private potion stock he had kept in his chamber, but outside had stood Seraphina . 

What is she doing in my chamber ? he thought 

Seraphina's eyes finally fell on the blood-soaked towel so she dared to speak . 

" Professor, you are injured. A lot of blood is flowing from your wound. I think you should go to Madam Pomfrey. " She spoke as her eyes locked on his towel . 

" What are you doing here, Miss Barclay? " He managed to speak, ignoring her concern . 

" Professor, will you let me see how grave the injury is? Maybe I can do something to stop the bleeding.” She spoke as if She hadn’t heard his words. She took a step towards him . 

" I think you shouldn't be in here, Miss Barclay. " He spoke in mock irritation . 

She approached him quickly, standing at an approachable distance from her professor. She took the blood-soaked towel in her hand and looked gravely at the deep cut . 

" For Merlin's sake, who did that to you, Professor? " She gasped at the sight of the deep gash . 

" I don't have any idea, Miss Barclay, " he said in a defeated tone . He knew there was no way she would leave without seeing his wounds fully dressed . 

" Professor, do you have Wiggenweld potion with you, because you are in urgent need of it, " she asked reaching hurriedly for the clean handkerchief from her robes, throwing away the blood-soaked towel on the ground . She wiped the extra blood from his gash with her handkerchief carefully . 

" Yes, I have that in my stores. I'll get it, " he said, pointing towards the other door . 

" No, please let me do it! " she demanded. She ran towards his stores and vanished inside , turning up a couple minutes later. 

" Please sit down, Professor. You have lost quite a lot blood; it might cause weakness. " She gestured towards the armchair kept near the darkened fireplace. 

Pointing her wand towards the fireplace, she lit the fire and ran to grab some useless things to be transfigured into bandages and cotton . Severus sat there by the fire watching the young girl running around his room asking questions about the worth and usefulness of some stuff . At last, she came with all the required equipment and kneeled down next to his armchair . Wiping the blood away, she poured some Wiggenweld potion on his gash and asked him to gulp down the content of the other vial . She very patiently dressed his shoulder gash and went on doing the same with the other two cuts . After half an hour, all three of his wounds were completely dressed and Seraphina's hands were red with his blood . Something distracted the young Ravenclaw. It was the hideous scar on the left arm of her Potions Master . She didn't questioned him about it . 

" Sir, I don't know if I have done it properly. I will still advise you to get them checked by Madam Pomfrey, " she said with her hands placed on her hips as she examined the dressing on his back for the last time . 

" I don't want Poppy to haggle me now, Miss Barclay " he said . It wasn't a lie, he hated the train of questions Poppy would launch at him if he would enter the hospital with these many gashes . " And you have done much more than required, Miss Barclay, " he continued . 

" Ummmm…" she hummed . 

" Then I think I should leave now, Professor, " she announced . 

He nodded in agreement . 

" But I think you should wash your hands first, " he suggested, pointing towards her red hands. She walked into his room, accepting his suggestion. She didn't want anyone to see her with her hands soaked in blood . She washed them quickly and exited the bathroom. 

As she walked towards the gate of the chamber, her eyes fell upon the rolled parchment the Headmaster had given her to deliver on the floor instead of where she’d put it on the table. It had slipped her mind when she had seen her injured professor . Picking it up, she gave it to Batman . 

" Headmaster Dumbledore sent this for you. He said it was important, " she said as she was about to vanished into the entrance hole . 

" Miss Barclay, " he called for her . 

" Yes, Professor, is there anything you need? " she asked, facing him again . 

" Thanks, " he said plainly. 

" Oh, Professor, there's no need to thank me, " she said . 

" No, it is needed. You needn't have done it," he replied weakly . 

" Sir, you were injured, and leaving a person injured when I can help them is not what I do, " she said . 

" You should go into healing as a career, I should say . You have the patience and skill required for it, and Poppy would be happy to have a student like you as her apprentice, " he said . 

" I only have a little knowledge . Well thanks for the advice, Professor, but now I think you should rest," she replied with a concerned tone. 

She vanished inside the entrance hole . 

Severus was now alone in his chamber like he had always been, but after Seraphina left, it felt empty . He unrolled the parchment she had given him . He identified the curvy calligraphy of Albus . 

" I hope she is a good nurse. " 

The words danced in front of his eyes . Albus had attacked him , but why? So, that meant he had sent Seraphina deliberately . Oh, Merlin, that old man was inscrutable . Severus growled to himself . Even though he was annoyed, a drowsy feeling crept up on him , so he retired to his bed .


	10. Chapter - 10 The Whomping Willow

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Why is Professor Severus Snape furious ? Who is writing Seraphina letters ?

"YOU ATTACKED ME ! HAVE YOU LOST YOUR MIND, ALBUS !" yelled Severus as he stomped into Albus' office uninvited . Minerva was already in the office , her nose buried in an official looking parchment . The sudden outburst of a yelling Severus startled her. She let out a little moan . Albus’ reaction was opposite from that of Minerva , a horseplay smile crept over his thin lips as if he was expecting the young Professor to appear with that mood . 

" I didn't do anything, my dear Severus, " his plain reply came from behind the table as if no one had yelled or stomped into his office . 

" DON'T. LIE. TO. ME. NOW OLD MAN I READ THE MESSAGE YOU SENT, AND WHY THE HELL ON THIS EARTH DID YOU SEND SERAPHINA TO MY CHAMBER? " he asked, calming down himself down, but his tone remained the same . 

" Oh, that message !" Albus squeaked " I thought maybe you needed a bit of caring after being 'injured,'" he continued , the emphasis on the word injured was dipped in heavy sarcasm. 

" Oh my God, Severus, are you all right Did you go to Poppy ?" Minerva cried in horror interrupting the quarrel between the two Wizards . 

" I am fine Minerva! " he snapped at her . 

Looking back at Albus, he sneered. " Then who attacked me in the dungeons and how did you know about it? " Severus demanded , his teeth clenching with anger . 

" Well, I didn't know about the attacker, but you can say I have some trusted sources who told me about you, " said Albus . 

" But why did you send Miss Barclay down? I want to know that more, " said Severus , his tone softened at her name . Albus sensed that . 

" Oh, Seraphina? She just happened to cross my path so I gave her the message to deliver it to you " he lied , both Minerva , Severus and he himself knew that . 

" But then why did you wrote, 'I hope she is a good nurse?' " mimicked Severus . 

" Oh did I write something like that? I thought I invited you to my office for tea. I remember that, " Albus lied again . " Well, nice weather outside right?" He continued trying to change the topic . 

" Albus, don't try to change the topic now answer Severus' question " ordered Minerva . 

Severus took out the crumbled piece of parchment from his frock coat's pocket passing it to Minerva . She skimmed through it thoroughly and passed Albus a look of disappointment . 

" Ok , I sent her to your chamber " confessed Albus in a defeated tone . 

" But why....." snapped Minerva and Severus together . 

" You needed some assistance, and I knew you wouldn't have gone to Poppy . So I sent her, " said Albus . 

" You could have sent anyone else on this damned earth, Albus. , Why did you send a student? " yelled Severus in frustration . 

" I agree with Severus, Albus. You could have sent a House-elf for help. What was the need to send a student " asked Minerva , the disappointed look still on her face . 

" Don't ignore the fact that Seraphina is a lot more than just a student for you Severus, " said Albus in a deadly serious tone . The twinkle from his eyes faded . " Your future--her own future--depends on both of your relation. I just wanted you both to spend some time with each other in solitude , where you are not her teacher, and she is not your student, because, Severus, if she doesn't feel anything for you , this will end up just like things ended up between Lily and you . She will find someone else, and you will be left all alone, all of this being in vain, and I fear this wouldn't end up good for you this time because of the curse, " he continued with sincerity . Every word he spoke was true . 

All three of them stayed silent , rooted to their place . Severus and Minerva absorbed every word that slipped out of Albus' thin lips . It was the hardest for Severus. Truth is always hard to swallow. and it is true . A aghast look overhauled His lean , slender face looked aghast . His body felt numb as he fell down into the armchair . 

" But how…" mumbled Severus weakly " how can... I love... a student, " he continued mumbling more to himself . 

" Everything has to start at a certain point Severus. Maybe you can build a friendship with her this to start it , and I can say she will surely accept your friendship, " Albus said with superiority in his voice . 

" But she... she is just a little girl, Albus " Minerva said . 

" Yes, she is just a 16 year-old but…" 

" But what, Albus? She is a sixteen- year-old girl; I am her teacher and years older than she . She is beautiful and intelligent. Why would a girl like her even look at me? " Severus snapped, cutting off Albus halfway through his sentence . 

" She looks up to you and thinks very highly of you, Severus, " said Albus, ignoring Severus's anger . 

" She does?" asked Severus timidly . 

" You know when she came to my office for the first time, she told me she was more excited to meet you than actually studying here at Hogwarts, " Albus said ." She sees a warrior in you. She sees a man who killed the Dark Lord himself , in you . " 

" Listen, Albus, this curse forced me to imprint on her but I won't force her in any way . She is just 16, and I cannot tell her that she will have to spend her whole life with me . And the curse had forced me to love her but she has no such compulsions . Let her live her life. I will get over it somehow " begged Severus. 

" Lily left you and you killed The Dark Lord. I am not very sure how you will get over this one Severus . And I hope you remember what Ms. Angelina said 9 years ago , the curse caused a long , painful death to the lady, and I don't want you to die when such an admirable girl has come into your life, Severus, " said Albus . 

" But why did The Dark Lord chose a girl like her for me to imprint upon? Wasn't the curse supposed to cause pain and suffering?" asked Severus in a dead tone. 

" It baffles me, too, Severus. For years I feared the person who you would imprint on because you had already seen enough pain to last a lifetime, but when it turned out to be Seraphina I felt relieved, " said Albus . 

" You were relieved that a 16 year-old girl had been imprinted upon by a man like me? " grunted Severus . 

" No, I was relieved to know you imprinted on Seraphina because she can understand the complexity of this situation, and I am sure she will only be a help to you, " said Albus with a assuring smile . 

" Nonetheless, now Seraphina has been imprinted upon, and there is nothing that can change it . So, what are you going to do now , Severus? " asked Minerva .   
Her eyes were locked on the fire glowing in the fireplace . Her question silenced the two men. She had a good point. What would they do now ? 

A long and awkward moment came over the Headmaster's office . No one spoke a word . They didn't knew what was to be said . 

" Don't do anything, Severus. Just try to built a friendship with her know her more , understand her . You are right that she is a student of your while she is in the school , but one thing is to our advantage in that it's her last year . I will offer her a job here so she could be here and stay near to you, and then maybe something would spark up between you two, " said Albus with a superior tone . 

Severus blushed a little as Albus talked about things sparking up between Seraphina and him . He never thought his personal affairs would be discussed in the Headmaster's office and that Albus would ever think so hard about it . He liked her but he liked her as a student . She was serious with her potions and was always helpful towards everyone . 

ልረልክ

The first snowfall of the season arrived in the middle of November . The castle was covered with white snow, making a breathtaking view . The heavy snowfall cancelled Seraphina's Care of Magical Creatures and Flying classes that day . Most of the people were in the vicinity of the warm castle , but Seraphina had different plans to spend her day . Grabbing the book she’d borrowed from the restricted area of the library, she snuck out of the prefects’ dorm and went to the Whomping Willow . Stepping out of the castle, the sunlight fell on her face . That day she wore her Muggle jeans , two layers of sweaters , a brown overcoat and a pair of black boots to seal her body heat inside . Her Ravenclaw muffler wrapped around her neck and a pair of yellow mittens she was wearing to cover her hands stood out against her dark outfit . Sitting on the outgrown roots of the Whomping Willow, she comfortably leaned on its trunk and buried her nose in the book , drifting off to world of her own . 

ልረልክ

Today the dungeon felt more gloomy than it did everyday . It had snowed outside, and most of the students were near the fireplaces warming themselves . His last hour was free, and he couldn't take the gloominess of dungeons anymore, so he marched towards the courtyard for some fresh air . A few students were in the courtyard chatting and strolling around . Leaving the courtyard behind he thought about taking a long walk , so he walked away from the castle . His eyes fell on the Whomping Willow and the small figure leaning against its trunk . The aggressive Willow stood there calmly in the vicinity of a person . It would have been normal for it to attack anyone coming near it , but it stood so calmly, supporting the small figure . He marched towards the Willow to ensure that the person was all right or not . As his proximity to the Willow grew, he saw the small figure's face . It was Seraphina's petite face which had turned red due to the coldness . She looked completely unharmed. Actually, she looked comfortable sitting under the aggressive Willow . 

ልረልክ

" Miss Barclay, are you all right? " a deep , grave voice tugged her out of her own world . 

But the Whomping Willow wasn't amused by the visitor as it shrugged violently , trying to warn the visitor to back off . Seraphina sensed the disapproval of the old tree . She instantly jumped up at her place and started stroking the rough trunk of the tree with her hands , calming it down . 

" Shhhhhh.........it's nothing Willi., It's just Professor Snape . He means no harm, " said Seraphina in a melodious voice . She calmed the old tree like it was a small child . Her words soothed the Willow but it was still reluctant . She turned towards her professor giving him a hand to take . 

Severus looked at her hand and then at her face with an arched eyebrow . He didn't know why she was asking for his hand. 

" Sir, you need to gain his trust so he knows you don't mean any harm, " said Seraphina softly . 

Severus slipped his hand in hers . She raised his hand towards the rough trunk and stroked his long and slender hand on the old tree . Her hand was over his , holding it and directing him how to stoke . The Whomping Willow finally calmed down completely . Seraphina quicky snapped her hand back leaving Severus hand dangling mid-air . 

" What are you doing here, Miss Barclay? I assume you know students are asked to stay away from the Whomping Willow," advised Severus . 

Seraphina walked past him, ignoring his question . Seeing that her professor wasn't coming she turned back, facing him . 

" I suppose we both shouldn't be here Professor , the Willow doesn’t trust you completely " she said . 

They both walked silently towards the courtyard which was unoccupied by now . 

" Now, I would like to get an answer form you, Miss Barclay. You could have been injured; the Willow could have attacked you!" He groaned, stepping in front of her . 

" Sir, I am completely fine. , The Willow don’t harm me, and I should say, you shouldn't have come near it. He was angry with your visit , and you could have gotten harmed, sir. " The cunning reply came from Seraphina. 

" But why didn't the tree attacked you, Miss Barclay? " questioned Severus, baffled . 

" Because it doesn’t want to, " she said plainly . 

" What? " Severus asked . He didn't understood her reply . 

" The Willow is just like a human, sir. He also has some people he doesn't harm. " 

" And you are one of them? " asked Severus, trying to understand her statement . 

" Yes. " 

" But how? " grumbled Severus . 

" It’s something even I don't know, sir, " she replied in a defeated tone , she didn't know the reason herself . She was a smart witch who knew the answer to almost every question in the world , but there were still some questions she had to leave unanswered .

" Ok , but I would like you stay away from the tree from now on, " demanded Severus . 

" But may I know the reason, sir? " begged Seraphina . 

" Because it might attack you. You can't trust an old, crazy tree, Miss Barclay, and I don't want any of my students injured, " he said . 

" I appreciate your concern, sir, but I can say that Willow will never hurt me," she said with a reassuring smile . 

" How can you be so sure ?" he asked in pretended frustration . 

" You are sometimes sure about things just because your heart says so, and my heart is sure about Willi that he will never hurt me, " replied Seraphina . 

" You know, sometimes you Ravenclaws are just too hard to understand, " Severus playfully groaned . 

" Thanks for the compliment, Professor Snape, " she replied, reciprocating his playfulness . She turned to leave when Batman called for her again . 

" Wait, Miss Barclay. " 

" Yes, Professor? " she replied, facing him . 

" I advise you to grab a hot chocolate from kitchen because you look too pale . Tell me, for how many hours you have been sitting under that crazy tree ? " questioned Severus. 

He sounded concerned about the young Ravenclaw . He was right, her skin had turned pale , the tip of her nose had turned cherry red from cold . 

Looking at her Muggle watch wrapped around her wrist and replied in a casual manner . 

" Oh , maybe like three and a half hour " 

" Three and a half hours outside in weather like this? Please don't say now that you were busy reading a book and lost track of time yet again," he groaned ." You are going down to the kitchen with me and drinking a cup of hot chocolate and then you will be going straight to your dorm . Did I make myself clear?" declared Severus . 

Turning towards the stairs of the castle, he marched towards it . 

" There is no need for that, Professor. I will be going straight to the library anyway, " she called from behind him . 

" I didn't asked you, Miss Barclay; it's my order, and you will be following it, " he said . 

" But why do I have to follow this order? " 

" Because this is the order of a professor, Miss Barclay, " he said . 

Seraphina let out a defeated sigh as she followed her professor silently . She knew it was of no use to argue with Batman; he was too determined to be shoved off . 

Severus slowed his speed so Seraphina was walking next to him and not behind him like someone inferior . Making their way through the corridors of the castle, they entered the kitchen where someone was already sitting, carving on a pumpkin tart . He was the last person both Seraphina and Severus were keen to see . It was Gilderoy Lockhart . 

" ...Then I punched that vampire and pointed my wand at him, forcing him to surrender ." He was in the middle of another Lockhart Chronicles, busy narrating to the House-elf who listened to it like a baby , getting excited and clapping like an innocent kid . But seeing two people entering, it turned towards them. 

" Oh, Professor Snape, after all this time. - Oh Mistress Seraphina , how are you today ?" It greeted them both with a warm smile . 

" Tully, what have I told you about calling me Mistress? " asked Seraphina . 

" Yes , yes , Tully remember what Seraphina Barclay told her about calling her," it said, bowing a little . " What can Tully serve you two with ?" she asked . 

" Oh, Seraphina, Seraphina, Seraphina, I didn't expected to see you . Well, a beautiful snowfall to go on a walk with someone special , right? " asked Lockhart, turning towards them . 

" Yes, it's a beautiful scene outside , but sadly I don't have anyone to go on a walk with like Lucifer and Elenore do, " she replied . 

" Ah, those love birds! You are talking about that couple who roam around with you all the time," said Lockhart. 

" A cup of hot chocolate will do fine for Miss Barclay, Tully, " interrupted Severus , forcing Lockhart to end his conversation . Lockhart passed a displeased look to Severus . 

" And for you, Professor Snape ?" asked Tully . 

" Nothing , I am fine ," said Severus . 

" But why, Professor ? Tully you can make that two, " Seraphina broke in . " You were also outside with me, sir, " she said, turning towards her professor . 

Severus didn't protest. After all, a hot chocolate wouldn't do any harm . 

" Why aren’t you wearing the neck piece I gave to you, Seraphina?" asked Lockhart, taking a big bite of his tart . 

" Ah, Actually it is a very precious gift, sir , so I thought I would keep it for special occasions, " explained Seraphina nervously . 

" Seraphina, Seraphina, Seraphina, it's not that precious. It would please me if I saw that around your neck quiet often. You know it would remind you of me, " said Lockhart, winking at her . 

" It's Miss Barclay's choice what she would wear and what not , so let her choose, Professor Lockhart," snapped Snape . 

" Here , your hot chocolate, " said Tully. 

Seraphina and Severus sipped their hot chocolate in silence . Tully added marshmallows in Seraphina's cup. She knew Seraphina liked it that way . 

" Aahhh... I love you Tully. It's so delicious and perfect. I needed it badly ," cried Seraphina after sipping her first sip . 

" Then why did you refused in the courtyard? " asked Severus, sipping from his own cup. A sly, Slytherin smirk crept upon his thin lips . 

" Because I didn't want a hot chocolate at that moment, but I realize now that I needed it, " replied Seraphina. She passed him her cheeky Ravenclaw smile . 

" Hey, Tully, do you have some chocolate chip cookies? " asked Seraphina . " You know they taste best with hot chocolate. You should try it, too, Professor ," she continued, facing Professor Snape. 

Tully brought a serving full of chocolate chip cookies . Lockhart had finished his tart by that time and ordered a hot chocolate for himself, too . The three of them sipped from their cups and ate the cookies in silence . 

" Hey, Tully, why don't you treat yourself to a cup of hot chocolate and cookies too? " suggested Seraphina . 

" But… " Tully was about to speak when Seraphina placed her cup back on the table, went to the shelf, and started preparing a cup of hot chocolate herself . 

" Please, Mistress Seraphina , don't embarrass Tully by doing work, " squeaked Tully in horror . 

But she kept on preparing a cup for the House-elf . Severus watched her No one cared for those pathetic creatures, and they were always treated inferiorly by the wizards and witches, but not by this girl . 

" Here, take your cup. It's not like you make, but it's the only thing I can make without wrecking the whole kitchen, and I am quite proud of myself for my hot chocolate making skills, " said Seraphina, passing the cup to the house-elf, a warm smile on her face . 

" Thanks, Mistress Seraphina, " squeaked the House- elf . 

" Ahem, " Seraphina cleared her throat . 

" Ah.... Thank you, Seraphina, " it corrected itself shyly . 

" Well, Seraphina , you know the weather outside is magnificent , so why don't you come and have a nice walk with me across the bridge? " asked Lockhart with a wide grin, leaving his white teeth for great exposition . 

" Miss Barclay will be going straight to her dormitory after finishing her hot chocolate , so, sorry Professor Lockhart, she can't take a nice walk with you, " snapped Severus . The emphasis on a ‘nice walk’ was greatly dipped with sarcasm . 

" But why, Seraphina? " asked Lockhart, ignoring Severus . 

" She has been outside for more than 3 hours, and in my opinion, that is more than enough time for being outside in this weather, " snapped Severus yet again . 

Seraphina and Tully stood there silently rooted in their places listening to the quarrelling professors . Seraphina was happy because she was in no mood for the Lockhart Chronicles. His classes had enough of that . Batman also disliked Lockhart as much as she did . 

After emptying her cup, Seraphina stood and moved to leave the kitchen . 

" Thanks, Professor Snape and Tully for this amazing hot chocolate . I should leave now , See you at the dinner Professor . Good evening, Professor Lockhart, " she said as she made her exit from the kitchen. 

Severus made his exit just after she left because he didn't want to spend another minute with that Lockhart . 

ልረልክ

The watch wrapped around her wrist showed that it was five in the morning . She had just completed her homework, and was about to take a bath when a snow-white owl knocked on her window . He had a letter in his dark-brown beak which she took and gave him a nut she kept in her room for Hans . She wasn't expecting any letter from anyone, so it surprised her. The envelope was written with big curvy writing. 

" For Seraphina Barclay " 

Opening the envelope, she slipped out the letter from within . The letter was written in the same curvy writing . 

Dear Seraphina , 

How are you ? 

I would be pleased to have you as my assistant for the demonstration of spells for the Dueling club . 

Your loving teacher ,   
Gilderoy Lockhart , Order of Merlin Third Class, Honorary Member of the Dark Force Defense League and five-time winner of Witch Weekly's Most Charming Smile Award 

A letter from Lockhart in the morning; the day couldn’t start any worse . With the quill in her left hand, she sat on the chair , thinking whether or not to answer the letter . She decided to discuss it with Lucifer and Elenore first . 

The Great Hall was quite full by the time she entered it . Almost everyone was there . Looking up to the Head table, she noted only a few seats were left unoccupied She walked to the Ravenclaw table, sitting next to Lucifer and Elenore, who were already enjoying their breakfast. Stuffing her mouth with a piece of toast, she went for the jug to fill her goblet with tea . 

" Hey , I want to ask something to you both, " said Seraphina . 

" Go on, " said Lucifer, stuffing his mouth with the sausage . 

She opened her mouth to speak, but before the words would have poured out of her lips, someone called for her from behind . 

" Seraphina, Seraphina, Seraphina, here you are. I was looking for you at the prefects’ table, " the voice of Gilderoy Lockhart came from behind her. 

She turned to face him, masking her irritation with a smile . 

" Good morning, Professor Lockhart, " she said with pretended cheerfulness. 

" Oh, good morning, Professor Lockhart , how are you today ?" asked Elenore wiping her mouth with a napkin and facing him . A flattered look came over her beautiful face at the sight of him . 

" I am good, Miss Wilson, " he replied to Elenore and turned towards Seraphina ." Good morning, Seraphina. " 

" So, what have you thought about being my assistant? " asked Lockhart, a smile plastered on his face . 

" I was thinking about that, Professor," replied Seraphina quietly . 

" What assistant, Seph? " asked Lucifer nonchalantly at the sight of Lockhart . 

" Oh ! I have asked Seraphina to be my assistant for the demonstration of spells in the Dueling club, " said Lockhart . 

" Ah ! Seph would love to be your assistant, Professor Lockhart! " flattered cried Elenore . 

Seraphina passed her a death glare . 

" Well, that's good , then see you here at five , " said Lockhart ." Well, one more thing. Can I have my breakfast with you? " he continued . 

Seraphina's didn't understood his use of the word ‘you.’ Was he referring to the three of them or only her Elenore almost gave a jump at what he said . 

" Yes , yes, Professor, why not? " squeaked Elenore before Seraphina's could even open her mouth to speak . 

Lockhart slipped down next to Seraphina at the table . Everyone in the Great Hall turned their eyes to them. The Gilderoy Lockhart was sitting among students . Seraphina ate as she usually did, but Elenore only ate some toast and a glass of milk. Dodging all conversations, Seraphina rose and made her exit from the Great Hall. 

ልረልክ

" Oh my God ! Lockhart asked you to be his assistant . Can I come with you too Please don't say no . Please, please, please, " begged Elenore as they sat in their Astronomy class . Professor Sinistra had given them a task to write an essay on Jupiter's moons . 

" Fine , just tag along . Now let me concentrate on my essay. I don't want bad grades like last time, " whispered Seraphina. 

" 8.5 out of 10 is not bad , how many times do I have to tell you that? " teased Elenore . 

ልረልክ

Severus was strolling towards the dungeon when he saw two Ravenclaw students in the corridor. A silver badge shone brightly against the Black robes of one student . It was Seraphina with her blabbering friend walking next to her . 

" I suppose Miss Barclay, you are heading towards the library, but what is Miss Wilson doing inside the castle on a day like this without Mister Jones? " sarcastically commented Severus . 

" Good evening, Professor , actually Elenore and I were going to the Dueling club, " said Seraphina . 

" But aren’t you in the Art's club, Miss Barclay? Then why are going to the Duelling club? And for you Miss Wilson, I supposed you don't seem interested in enhancing any of your extra skills?" asked Severus with an arched eyebrow . 

" Professor Lockhart asked Seraphina to be his assistant tonight " snapped Elenore irritatingly . The way she said assistant tonight made it feel more like date tonight . 

" Professor Lockhart... I remember you ended up in the hospital last time you were in a duel with Professor Lockhart , am I right, Miss Barclay?" asked Severus . 

" Yes, I know that, professor, but this time I wouldn't dodge the spell his way " said Seraphina her head bowed in embarrassment . 

" I suppose it would be very intriguing seeing a teacher duel a student. I shall watch it, too, " said Severus . He walked with them in silence . He didn't want Lockhart to hex her again . 

The Great Hall was packed with many first and 2nd year students . A long table was laid in the center around which the students had crowded . Seraphina took off her robes and handed them to Elenore . 

" Good evening, youngsters, " announced Lockhart as he climbed the table . 

" So, I, Gilderoy Lockhart be demonstrating to you all how to duel like a true wizard ow welcome my assistant for this evening Seraphina Barclay " announced Lockhart, pointing his wand towards Seraphina who stood among the crowd . He also made assistant for this evening sound more like date for this evening just like Elenore. 

Seraphina climbed the table and walked towards him slowly . Lockhart took of his clock and threw it on girls who fought for it like mad women . 

The duelists both walked towards each other , bowed, and walked back to take their position . 

" At the count of three, " announced Lockhart. 

" One , two , three! " 

" Petrificus Totalus, " cried Seraphina . Lockhart barely managed to dodge the curse and was about to trip over the table but maintained his equilibrium . 

" Rule number one, never give your opponent the first chance to attack you. Get rid of them as soon as possible, " said Seraphina . 

As the Ravenclaw made the cunning remark, the boys clapped with amusement and the girls groaned . 

" That was a very Slytherin move for a Ravenclaw , I have to admit, " commented Lockhart with that irritating smile of his plastered on his lips . 

" Your opponent won't ask you your House , rule number two, " remarked Seraphina , raising her wand to defend herself from his spell . 

" Expellriamus! " shouted Lockhart . 

Seraphina avoided the curse fluidly . 

They both threw curses at each other for the next 10 minutes . Seraphina kept it light. She was cautious not to use any heavy or harmful curse on her professor . Making a comment or two at times, she was completely into the duel with her full concentration on it . She dueled like a trained witch with precision and accuracy . 

Severus stood there in the shadows of the Great Hall watching the duel between the young Ravenclaw and the teacher twice her age . She very effortlessly dodged every one of his spells and threw excellent spells at him . 

" Stupefy, " chanted Seraphina . Lockhart was slow to dodge this spell. The curse threw him on the far end of the table . Seraphina ran towards him . Severus saw the Slytherin look on her face fade away as she kneeled down on the table next to Lockhart . 

" I am so sorry, Professor. I thought you would be able to dodge that spell, " apologized Seraphina . 

" It's ok. I am fine Seraphina, " said Lockhart, sitting up . 

Seraphina stood and gave him a hand. He took her hand and stood up . " It's nothing compared to the gash the werewolf gave me on my chest, " he continued . 

Seraphina rolled her eyes at that . 

" Enough of the demonstration for today. Now it’s time for you all to practice yourself . Come on, pair up now, " announced Lockhart . 

" Well, who is the winner of this duel ?" Lockhart questioned the crowd . 

The girls screamed Lockhart's name and the boys did the opposite . 

" Professor Snape you were here the whole time? I didn't see you there . Well, mind announcing the winner of this duel? " asked Lockhart . 

Severus stepped out of the shadows just like Batman . 

" I propose that , if you consider the confidence , knowledge, and usage of spells, I would declare Miss Barclay the winner of this duel, " said Severus calmly . 

The female crowd groaned. 

" Thanks, Professor Snape, " Seraphina's thanked her professor .


	11. Chapter - 11 The Triwizard Tournament

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What will happen when the Triwizard Tournament is held at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry ?

The Great Hall was packed with students who looked extra buoyant that morning. An extra pair of tables had been placed in the Hall. Seraphina was sitting at the Prefect's table with Jason Botts, treating herself with sausages and eggs. She noticed that all the teachers had made an effort to look their best. Lockhart was wearing bright red robes, exaggerating his sanguine. But one teacher was dressed the same way he always did. It was Batman, who didn't match the cheerfulness of the Great Hall. Cradled in his black robes, he somehow still looked distinguished. 

"It has been a great year so far for Hogwarts and it's students, and I hope the coming time brings more of the same for all of us. This year, the Ministry of Magic has chosen Hogwarts as the host of the Triwizard Tournament." The hall broke into thunderous applause at the announcement . All were excited for this tournament . " Now please welcome the students of Durmstrang Institute, " he continued .

The wooden gate of the Great Hall thudded open, and 12 handsome young boys marched aggressively towards the Head table . Performing an aggressive combat, they finished and stood in formation, passively radiating their masculinity . A tall , muscular teacher followed them in the same aggressive manner . Headmaster Dumbledore greeted the tall teacher, and they seated themselves at their assigned places . 

" Now, please welcome the young ladies from Beauxbatons Academy of Magic, " Dumbledore continued .

A dozen beautiful girls entered the hall, clad in blue silk . They fluidly danced their way to the head table . A tall... extravagantly tall... woman followed the girls . She was even taller than the half-giant Hagrid himself. Seraphina observed the half-giant blushing as the lady made her way through to the Head table . 

" For the safety of students, only sixth-years will be allowed to take part in the competition ." 

The crowd groaned in disapproval . 

" The Goblet of Fire will be placed in the Trophy room, and the students eligible for the competition can put their name in the fire. One week from now , we will be meeting with the names of the contenders . All the best to you ! " The Headmaster announced . 

ልረልክ

Lucifer was excited the most for the tournament . He was excited about exposing his athletic abilities . Being the captain of the Ravenclaw Quidditch team, he was carrying a huge burden of expectations on his shoulder . He and Elenore wanted Seraphina to place her name in the goblet too , but she was in no mood to waste her time in any silly tournament . Professor Filtwick and professor McGonagall also tried persuading her into putting her name in the Goblet, but failed miserably .

The day came when the name of the contenders of the tournament would be announced . The Goblet threw out three small parchments one at a time at Headmaster Dumbledore . 

" Adalene Bernard from Beauxbatons Academy of Magic, " announced Headmaster Dumbledore . Thunderous applause filled the hall .

" Lucas Karlsson from Durmstrang Institute. " 

The last parchment carried the name of the student of Hogwarts who would be stepping into the competition . The tension grew thick in the hall . Many had placed their name in the Goblet . 

" Lucifer Jones from Ravenclaw House of Hogwarts, " announced the old Headmaster . The Ravenclaw table broke into thunderous applause and amused cheers. Seraphina jumped up at her place and cheered for her friend . 

" Oh my God, I knew the Goblet would choose you, Lucifer, " exclaimed Seraphina as she pressed Lucifer into a tight embrace . The Ravenclaws had gone crazy after the announcement . It has been a long time since someone from Ravenclaw has been chosen for the Triwizard Tournament . 

ልረልክ

The first task was a quest for a dragon's golden egg from the pit. Lucifer was to face a Chinese Fireball. He wasn't afraid to face a dragon, but he was nervous for sure . Elenore hugged him tightly and whispered 'I love you' in his ear .

" Listen, Lucifer, you are very strong, and what you have to do is obtain the egg. You will do it very easily , I know that . Now give me a hug, and go win this Tournament for your mom, " said Seraphina with a warm smile as she hugged him . 

The girl from Beauxbatons barely escaped the dragon, but she was able to get her hands on her egg . Lucifer nailed his task . He quickly grabbed the egg and flung himself onto his broom , flying away from the fiery beast .

The last one to face the dragon was the boy, Lucas Karlsson . He was quick and impulsive, displaying very impressive athletic skills . Grabbing his golden egg, he was flying away from the Antipodean Opaleye on his Thunderbolt broom when suddenly, the back of his broom started burning . The dragon had exhaled a huge ball of fire on the flying boy . The humongous creature flinched violently, breaking the chains captivating him . The dragon thrashed his tail at the boy, devastating his broom and knocking him off . 

The audience gasped in horror at the sight . No one dared to move even an inch . Everyone's mouth dropped as they spectated the boy falling to his death . 

"Arresto Momentum," a voice cried out, breaking the thick silence of horror . It was the voice of Seraphina , her wand pointing at the falling boy . The immobile body decelerated. 

The Dragon shot a furious glance at the decelerating body of the boy. It was about to fling itself on him when a another sound grabbed its attention. Seraphina's body was falling into the pit as she yelled "Molliare, " pointing her wand at the rocks beneath her . Landing and then subsequently rolling over the rocks , Seraphina stood, composing herself . The Opaleye inhaled deeply before slinging a sea of fire on the little girl . The audience gasped yet again . 

It was brave yet a suicidal attempt , everyone thought . 

" Protego ! " yelled Seraphina . The fire flung towards her before splitting away as it touched what looked like an invisible ball, inside which stood Seraphina . She was trying hard to face the dragon all by herself, and the strain was exhibited on her face . At first, everyone thought they would find the girl in the form of ashes, but the sight that met them left them with their jaws dropped on the floor . The fire was extinguished, and Seraphina stood there on her knees, looking completely exhausted . Getting back on her feet she raised her hand in the air . 

" Hisssssshaaaaaa " her lips moved but nobody heard any words pouring out of her lips . The Opaleye shot a glance at her, but it wasn't aggressive anymore . Seraphina took a step towards it and moved her lips further . The dragon lowered it's head bringing it towards Seraphina. She reached out her hand and the dragon placed his large claws upon the her tiny palm . Suddenly, it flinched again violently and spread its scaly wings wide across the sky then drew them around the small figure of Seraphina, cocooning her protectively . 

No one moved , no one made a sound . Not even Headmaster Dumbledore or the Ministry officials who came to spectate the event took command of any action . The crowd saw the crazy girl jumping into the dragon's pit and saying something to the scaly beast . Severus's heart almost burst out of his chest as he saw Seraphina jumping in front of the beast. He almost jumped in the pit, but Hagrid caught hold of him, preventing him from doing so . The Half-giant thought that the young Potions Master had almost lost his balance and was about to fall . 

A bright light ignited from the cocoon as the dragon unwrapped his wings from around Seraphina , her body lying on the floor of the pit . A large cut on her right cheek appeared from which blood was flowing mercilessly . Quickly, she stood up and stroked the scaly body of the gigantic beast . The Antipodean Opaleye looked calm as it backed off , silently sitting on the floor if the pit . The young witch ran towards the immobile body of the boy, kneeling next to him . Seraphina helped the half-unconscious boy onto his feet , helping him make his way to the exit of the pit . 

All the professors and Ministry members ran towards the changing room . Severus was ahead of them all with Lockhart on his heels . 

" I need help; he needs Madam Poppy very badly, " yelled Seraphina as she helped the boy make his way towards the chair . Rita Skeeter , the infamous journalist of the Wizarding world, was already there with her photographer . The flash of the enchanted camera pricked Serphina's eyes . 

" Expelliarmus! " yelled Seraphina as she knocked the camera out of the hands of the photographer with her wand .

Unfortunately, it fell on the table kept nearby, preventing it from breaking . 

" Are you alright ? " asked Seraphina, facing the boy and cupping his face in her hands . 

The teachers and the Ministry officials broke into the room . Seraphina looked up at them with exhaustion filling her face. 

" Thank God, Madam Poppy, you are here ,please check him. I think no bones have broken, but there could be many sprains, " explained Seraphina hurriedly . " And please escort them to the exit, " she said looking at Rita Skeeter and her photographer . Hagrid threw them out at once . 

Poppy and some teachers carried the boy to the hospital while Seraphina sunk to the ground , the exhaustion overtaking her body . 

" You could have been killed, " said Severus vehemently .

" But I wasn't, and I couldn't have let the boy die in front of my eyes when I could have saved him, " said Seraphina, looking up at him . She sunk her face down into her hands . Her clothes were covered with mud , soot and red spots of blood . 

" Why are you so obsessed with getting yourself into life endangering situations? " Severus's jaw clenched hard .

" At least this obsession isn't bad, and actually, what is life endangering for you is not for me, Professor, " commented Seraphina, her face still buried in her hand.

" Are you all right Seraphina?" Interrupted Lockhart. "Oh my God, what were you thinking when you jumped into that pit? ". 

For the first time, his intrusion was for a good cause. He kneeled on the floor next to her small figure . 

" Does she look all right to you Lockhart? " snapped Severus . 

A drop of blood fell from her hand which was supporting her face . 

" Seraphina, " called Lockhart as he took her hand from her face . It was smeared with blood flowing from the cut across her cheek . It was a deep cut . 

" Oh, Merlin, how did you get that? " cried Minerva in horror . 

" Oh this? The dragon snorted hard when he cocooned me, and I stumbled from his strong breath and it happened, " replied Seraphina casually as if she was telling how she got a book from library .

" You need to go to Poppy this instant, " said Severus taking a step towards her. 

" I agree with Professor Snape , come let me help you, " added Lockhart . 

" It's just a small cut. I'll manage; I just need some rest, " said Seraphina with exhaustion .

" No more excuses, Miss Barclay, " said Severus, giving her a hand . 

" My hands are smeared in blood , I don't want to ruin yours, " commented Seraphina, showing her blood smeared hands . 

Severus quickly grabbed her hand and pulled her up form the ground . Seraphina got up in a defeated manner . Dragging her with him , he made his way through the tent . Lockhart followed them . Seraphina limped her way with her professor dragging her . Diving from the height into the pit had unknowingly sprained her ankle and wrist . 

Severus noticed her limping, so he stopped and took her up in his arms in the bridal style . Seraphina's raven eyes widened at her professor's act, but she didn't protest. She was too exhausted for protesting . The way Batman's arms felt so comforting and protective... she liked it . Wrapping her hands around his neck to support her back , she laid her head on his broad shoulder . 

" I hope you don't mind this Professor , my head is stinging badly, " said Seraphina weakly . Her eyelids felt heavy so she let them shut, falling into unconsciousness .

" Don't worry, " whispered Severus . 

Lockhart's face and jaws fell open at the sight before him . Seraphina comfortably leaned her head on the git's shoulder, and she didn't even protest once . Why was the girl so reluctant with him only? 

Albus and Minerva passed each other a horseplay smile . They were surely enjoying seeing Seraphina in the young Professor's arms . The muscular arms of Severus Snape held Seraphina scrupulously . The students in the way almost fainted seeing their grumpy teacher holding a student so cautiously . 

" Poppy, I need you to see Miss Barclay this very moment, " demanded Severus as he entered the hospital wing . A crowd was already gathered around the bed in which Lucas Karlsson was lying . All turned to see the girl in his arms . He laid down Seraphina on a bed and started wiping the blood off her face .

" This is not your dungeon where you can make demands ,Severus , now get away from her and let me see how deep the cut is, " snapped Poppy . 

" I don't always demand Poppy " commented Severus . 

Poppy poured some Wiggenweld Potion on her cut . The gash reconciled fast, leaving behind just a fine line . Poppy promised that the scar would fade away in a day or two . Seraphina was lying on the hospital bed with Severus , Lockhart , Minerva and Albus at her bedside . Everyone retired to their chambers except for Severus who sat on her bed. 

Lucifer and Elenore paid their visit to her, but Poppy only granted them 5 minutes . It wasn't long before Seraphina woke . Seeing Batman on her bedside, she almost cried out. 

" How are you now, Miss Barclay? " asked Severus calmly . His anger faded away long ago as he saw her lying on the hospital bed looking pathetic. 

" Oh, Professor Snape , I am fine . Well, how is that boy? Is he all right?" asked Seraphina , sitting up on the bed .

" He is perfectly fine, but if you hadn't jumped in, surely he would have come to me as ashes ." commented Poppy as she passed her some pumpkin juice to drink . 

" Ah, yes, I hope you don't mind answering my questions now, Miss Barclay . Why did you throw yourself in the pit?" asked Severus .

Seraphina casually leaned her head on the wall behind her , snorted lightly out of irritation , ignoring her Professor who fixed him with a look of pretended seriousness. 

" Ah, come on, Severus, don't bother her now; and there are not many wizards who have survived a dragon and walked away with just a scar ." interrupted Poppy. 

" Oh, my cut. Did it leave any scar behind? " asked Seraphina rubbing a hand on her cheek . 

" No, just a thin line , don't worry it will wear off in a day or two," assured Poppy .

Disappointment overshadowed Seraphina's delicate face . 

" Why do you look so displeased, Miss Barclay? " asked Severus .

" The cool scar will wear off. " 

" So, you want a scar to ruin that pretty face of yours? " remarked Poppy with a look of disapproval .

" I have read in many civilizations and mythologies, scars are the symbol of bravery, and they are celebrated as a symbol of beauty . Too bad I won't have mine to be proud of, " said Seraphina, looking disappointed .

" You know, you Ravenclaws... especially you, Seraphina, are just too hard for me to understand," commented Poppy . 

She turned towards Severus and took out a parchment from her apron's pocket, giving it to him . " Headmaster Dumbledore sent this for you, " she said as she left them . 

Dear Severus , 

Bring Seraphina to my office at 5 . We need to have an important discussion.

Albus 

Severus looked at the clock that hung on the wall of the hospital . It was already 4:45 . He asked Poppy to check Seraphina again, but the nurse assured him that she was fine . Escorting her to the Headmaster's office , he entered the room which was already crowded . Albus , Minerva , Filius , and Hagrid were already in the office. Two new faces were also there, sitting on the armchair kept near the fireplace . Lucas Karlsson was sitting there with the teacher from Durmstrang . Lucas jumped up at once when he saw Seraphina and pressed her in a tight embrace against his chest . He was a tall lad; she only reached his ears . Seraphina's eyes widened at his embrace, but she didn't flinch. She knew how miserable he must have been feeling . 

" Thanks for saving my life, Seraphina, " he whispered in her ear . 

Seraphina awkwardly patted his back . He pulled away and faced her . 

" I just don't know what to say , I...I just wanted to thank you . The dragon might have killed me if you haven't had come for my rescue ." cried Lucas .

" It's fine, Lucas , but I should be the one asking how are you. Are you all right? " asked Seraphina, looking concerned. 

" I am fine. You just saved me at the right time ." said Lucas . 

Lucas stepped aside . The tall , muscularly built teacher stepped in front of her . He kneeled down on the floor to match Seraphina's height . Facing her , Igor Karkaroff took her delicate hands in his huge one . 

" I don't know how can I ever repay you for saving the life of my best student, " said Igor . 

" Sir, please don't flatter me now. I just did what I felt was right . And a life matters more than any trophy or prize to me, " said Seraphina, giving him a warm smile . 

He raised the hand he was holding to his lips and caressed the back of it. Seraphina blushed lightly. 

The door of the office thudded open as three Ministry officials entered the room with grave looks on their faces.   
Headmaster Dumbledore greeted the middle-aged man and shared a whisper or two . Seraphina didn't know what she should be feeling, so she stood there rooted in place .

" So, you are Seraphina Barclay, " said the middle-aged man scanning her . " Your mother was an amazing woman , you know that ?" he continued .

" Yes, I do " replied Seraphina .

" Well, then I hope you know the Triwizard Tournament is fought between three students of the three schools ." he said gravely .

" I know that very well sir, " replied Seraphina .

" But then also, you jumped into the pit when Lucas Karlsson was attempting to claim his golden egg, " he continued .

" Yes, I did, " replied Seraphina sheepishly . 

" That might cause Mr. Karlsson to be disqualified from the game for getting external help, " he announced .

" What? Don't do that to him!" begged Seraphina. "I was the one who jumped into the pit to save him. He never asked for help-- actually we both are talking for the first time right now. " explained Seraphina . 

"If you want to just give me any punishment , but please don't disqualify him because of me," she continued .

" But why did you jump into the pit in the first place?" questioned the middle-aged man . 

" What do you expect me to say, sir? I am really sorry if it's against the rules, but I couldn't have let Lucas die in front of my eyes acknowledging the fact that I could have saved him, " said Seraphina quietly . 

" You know, you are just like your mother when it comes to saving the lives of others, " remarked the man with a sly smile on his wrinkled face . He wasn't that old to have wrinkles but the stress of working for the ministry as the Minister of Magic did had it's own side effects .

A cunning reply came from Seraphina . " It's what you call genes, sir. " 

" I think a life matters more than any rule, Jacob, " added Headmaster Dumbledore .

" You know I cannot ignore the fact that you saved a life by endangering your own, so I want you to be an honorary contender of the Triwizard Tournament," announced Mr. Jacob . 

" I am sorry but, what? " asked Seraphina incredulously .

" You heard that right Miss Barclay Jr. As you know, being the contender of this tournament is an honor in itself, so I want you to be awarded with it, " said Mr. Jacob .

" But sir...." Seraphina was about to protest when the Headmaster cut her off.

" That would be great, Jacob . Seraphina will be pleased to be an honorary contender, but will she be required to compete, too? " asked the Headmaster. 

" No, that won't be necessary, " came the reply. 

Severus had seen the girl defending a boy she barely knew. The more he wanted to understand her, the more entangled he was becoming with her . She fought a dragon , saved his life, and now she was ready to take a punishment for a boy who just arrived here yesterday . 

The ministry officials left, and Lucas and Professor Igor took their leave . Seraphina turned towards her Headmaster .

" Sir, this..." 

" Seraphina, my child, it's not everyday that a student saves a life and survives a dragon at the same time . It's just the award for your bravery . Accept it, " said Headmaster Dumbledore quietly . 

Seraphina left the office with Batman, who insisted on dropping her off at the dorm . 

ልረልክ

The Great Hall was packed with students. The zeal of the event that had happened a few hours previously was still alive . As Seraphina made her way to the Ravenclaw table, she saw George running towards her. 

" Oh my God! Thanks God you are fine. What were you thinking when you jumped in front of that dragon? " cried George as he pressed her in a tight embrace . 

" Oh, God, please don't ask me that George, "sighed Seraphina . 

" Seraphina, " a voice called from behind her back . She turned to face Lucas standing there . 

" Ah, Lucas, how are you? " asked Seraphina .

" I am fine. Well, I wanted to invite you to our table for dinner . All the boys are going crazy to meet the girl who survived the dragon . Please don't deny my request, " pleaded Lucas . 

" Oh, for sure , but I hope you don't mind if my friends tag along? " asked Seraphina .

" It would be a pleasure, " said Lucas, bowing and giving her a hand to take .   
Seraphina took his hand , scarlet dusting her cheeks . 

" Please accept my apologies for that scar, " Lucas said as they made their way to the table packed with tall , handsome boys . 

" Oh, it would have been an honor if it would have been permanent, but Madam Poppy said it would fade away in a day or two, " said Seraphina . 

Headmaster Dumbledore made the announcement regarding Seraphina's honorary contender ship in the Triwizard Tournament . Professor Flitwick almost jumped at his place . Two students from Hogwarts were in the tournament now, and both were Ravenclaws, and the girl who survived the dragon was also a Ravenclaw . 

Seraphina , George and the lovebird had a heartfelt dinner with the Durmstrang boys . The boys were cautious not to disagree with the girl who survived the dragon . 

Retiring to her dormitory , Seraphina said her goodbyes to the boys . As she walked the barren corridor, she heard her name being called . At first she thought it was Lucas again, but it was the last person on this Earth she wanted to see at that moment. It was Gilderoy Lockhart . 

" Oh, good evening Professor Lockhart, " greeted Seraphina . 

" Oh, my God , girl, what were you thinking when you jumped into that pit ?" Lockhart asked once again. 

" It's the 50th time someone is asking me that, Professor, " said Seraphina tiredly .

" I know you are very much inspired by my novels, but that doesn't mean you should jump into a pit with a dragon in it," said Lockhart . 

" Sir..." groaned Seraphina softly. She was cautious not to offend her professor .

" Never mind , Just tell me, are you all right ?" he asked, stopping near her . 

" I am fine, Professor, " replied Seraphina .  
He placed his fingers beneath her chin , forcing her to lookup into his blue eyes which somehow looked darker. 

" Here, let me get a look at your gash. " 

" I am fine, Professor, " repeated Seraphina , quickly stepping back. 

"Merlin, you are all right . You know my heart almost jumped out of my chest when I saw you in the pit standing alone in front of that beast, " he said as he pressed her into a tight embrace . 

Only God knew how many hugs she'd gotten from the time she'd awakened in the hospital. Many teachers hugged her, too, but Lockhart's embrace felt iniquitous . He didn't wrap his arms around her back to pull her into a hug, but instead he held her by the waist . 

Seraphina quickly pulled away from his hug .

" I am feeling drowsy, sir. I think I should get some sleep, " she said .

" Good night, Seraphina, " said Lockhart .

Sleep was far from coming that night after Lockhart hugged her . Why was it that his touch felt so discombobulating to her?   
He was just showing his concern as a teacher , she thought, shoving off the thoughts . 

The Prefects' dorm was packed with Ravenclaw students who had come to celebrate her honorary contender ship . 

" Oh, my God ! I can't believe this, " yelled a few boys . 

" Girl, you are a badass " commented another . 

" She is the Princess of Ravenclaw, after all, " remarked one .

" Nah baby , princesses don't make dragons obey them and save lives . She is Ravenclaw's warrior," said Lucifer, pressing her into a tight hug. 

" Yeahhhhhh..." everyone yelled together. in a league.

" Silence! " called Professor Flitwick, who had entered the Common room . 

" I am so proud of you, Seraphina . You have surely made our house exceedingly proud today, " said Professor Flitwick . Seraphina knelt on the ground to be level with him . " Two students for Hogwarts in the Triwizard Tournament, and both are Ravenclaw, " squeaked her professor .

" Oh, Professor..." cried Seraphina, flattered . 

ልረልክ

The next morning, the Great Hall was packed with students yet again . But something was contrasting that morning everyone had their nose buried in the Daily Prophet . Seraphina casually made her way to the Ravenclaw table to have breakfast with her friends . 

" What's up Khaleesi, " yelled one student from the Slytherin table . 

" What's up with what ? " asked Seraphina baffled by what he'd called her . 

She noticed everyone was stealing glances at her . Slipping into the chair next to Lucifer , she stuffed her mouth with bacon . 

" Khaleesi , love you, " another student yelled from Gryffindor table pointing towards her .

" Hey why is everyone calling me that? " asked a baffled Seraphina . 

Lucifer silently passed her a copy of the Daily Prophet he was reading . Seraphina glanced at what was printed on it . 

" The Witch Who Conquered the Dragon : Seraphina Barclay " 

The heading flashed in big letters on the front page of the Daily Prophet . A moving photograph of her stroking the dragon was also printed . Seraphina's eyes widened at the headline , her jaw dropped . 

" Merlin, what the hell is this? " Seraphina almost yelled . 

" That's not the real shit , the real shit is printed beneath it, " said Lucifer as he took the folded newspaper from her hand and handed it to her again, unfolding it for her. 

Seraphina almost fell from the bench at the sight of the next headline .

" The Conqueror of the Dark Lord Helps the Girl who Conquered the Dragon "

A photograph of her in Batman's arms was printed . 

" Holy jinxes ! Don't tell me this photograph is the reason everyone staring at me! " yelled Seraphina . 

Lucifer ignore her screech .

" There is a muggle TV show named Game of Thrones. It has a cool character whom the dragons obey . Someone called you that, and now the whole school is going crazy, " stated Lucifer. 

" Shit, " whispered Seraphina .

" Come on, Khaleesi is not that bad of a name, " assured Lucifer. 

" Agh that nickname is not the matter . What was the need of publishing this photograph? " groaned Seraphina , showing him the photograph of her and Batman .

" Well you look fine in Batman's arms, " teased Lucifer .

" You know, I shouldn't have let him hold me like that at the first place, " groaned Seraphina .

" Relax Seph. Calm down. It's just a photo, and after all, I know how awful you looked after facing that beast . You wouldn't have made it to the hospital yourself, " assured Lucifer as he kept a hand on her shoulder .

" Hey look Batman isn't here. Let me leave because I don't have the courage to face him now, " said Seraphina getting up from the bench .

" You are going nowhere . Just sit down , stuff your mouth, and enjoy the popularity . And don't you talk about your courage , girl; you jumped into the dragon's pit without thinking twice and now you are scared?" said Lucifer, grabbing her hand and forcing her down again .

Severus entered the Great Hall from the main entrance . He felt all eyes on him . As he made his way to the table, he heard someone squeaking . Seraphina looked worried as she blabbered something to Lucifer Jones sitting next to her . As he seated himself at the Head table, Hagrid gave him an amused look . All the teachers looked amused for some reason except for Lockhart. , He had an unpleased look on his face as he picked at his food . 

" Something special ? " asked Severus with an arched eyebrow .

" Nothing, just the Daily Prophet published a readable article for once, " cunningly commented Albus . 

Severus snatched the copy of the Daily Prophet Filius was trying to hide from him . He read the headline and a smirk escaped his thin lips . Just the day before, people were saying Seraphina survived the dragon and now the newspaper says she conquered it . Well it was right after all , she did save a life and faced the dragon without getting killed . 

" Miss Barclay is all over the news I see, " he commented .

" That's not why everyone is staring at you Severus, " commented Minerva .

Severus raised his head to look at the hall, and she was correct. All the students were looking either at him or at Seraphina.

" Just unfold the paper and you will get your answer, " she added . 

Severus did so . The paper almost fell out of his grip as he saw the photo printed . He was holding Seraphina in his arms and her small head rested on his broad shoulder . 

" Who took this? " he gasped at once .

" You know Skeeter , she always gets her hand on the most lucid event, " commented Minerva .

Neither Seraphina nor Severus knew what was to be done . Although everyone knew she had been injured and was carried by her professor, Seraphina felt uneasy .

ልረልክ

The potions class that day was the most awkward class she had ever attended in her whole life . Although Batman didn't say a single word about the incident , Seraphina still felt awkward. 

" Have you seen the photo of Khaleesi and the Greasy Bat in the Daily Prophet? " whispered one student . 

" Yes , but that was a hot photo , though, " commented his partner .

Severus heard their whispers . He had instructed the class to brew a Felix Felicis during that hour . 

" Anything interesting Mr. Dashwood and Ms. Thomas ?" asked Severus as he marched towards the back of the class where they were working on their potion . 

" No... nothing ...s... sir " they stuttered .

" I heard you were very much interested in the photographs of the Daily Prophet, " said Severus calmly .

The African Red Pepper fell from Seraphina's grip as the name of the Daily Prophet slipped from Batman's lips . 

" No... nothing sir. We were just talking about Barclay's photograph, " said the boy. 

" You seem more interested in Miss Barclay's heroic act which could have cost her life than on making your potion, " said Severus as he turned towards Seraphina's table . 

" But that was cool , though, " the student commented bravely .

" No more gossips in this class , back to your potions," snapped Batman. " Although I am very sure none of you inhibits the concentration and determination to brew a potion perfectly , but get going with your work, " he remarked cunningly .

The class ended with only two students brewing a presentable and roughly accurate Felix Felicis . One of them was Emily Bailey from Gryffindor house . Severus scanned every cauldron and made remarks . Finally, only Seraphina's cauldron was left . He was ignoring her during the whole class, but now he could not . As he scanned her cauldron , he was impressed to see another nearly accurate potion . 

" Another presentable potion at last, " he remarked. " Five points for Ravenclaw for the accurate brewing of Felix Felicis " 

" Thanks, Professor, " replied Seraphina looking down at the table , avoiding any eye contact with his cold black eyes .

ልረልክ

The next task was to retrieve something valuable from the bottom of the Black Lake . The task wasn't as eventful as the previous one but still everyone was enjoying it thoroughly. Seraphina was invited to spectate that event with the teachers and the Ministry officials , which meant she couldn't hoot or cheer for Lucifer and Lucas which upset her, but one person made things unbearable for her . It was Gilderoy Lockhart who had forced himself onto the bench next to her . The whole time he was busy narrating his Lockhart Chronicles which she thought would be better left unheard .

Severus was cautious to sit in her proximity . He didn't want her to jump in the Black Lake because someone's life was in danger only to endanger her own in the process . Seeing her sit next to Lockhart irritated him as much as it irritated Seraphina herself . 

Seraphina noticed Elenore was missing from the crowd . She stood up from her place as Batman's voice interrupted her thoughts.

" Miss Barclay, I see no one in danger this time," advised Professor Snape .

" Sir, my friend Elenore is missing. I doubt she wants to miss Lucifer's task . I must go look for her, " she replied.

" Seraphina, do you know what it is that Mr. Jones is supposed to retrieve from the bottom of the Black Lake?" the Headmaster's voice broke in.

" Lucifer told me that the egg he retrieved from the dragon said that he would have to search for something valuable from the Black Lake, " replied Seraphina.

" Yes, something valuable to them, " agreed the Headmaster with a sly smile on his thin lips .

" Ooooo... " agreed Seraphina, realizing what her old Headmaster meant by 'valuable to them .' She sank onto the bench again .

" Elenore is lucky, " she whispered .

" How's that Seraphina? " asked Lockhart, looking her at .

" Headmaster Dumbledore said their search was for something valuable to them . Lucifer likes Elenore, and that means Elenore holds value in Lucifer's life," stated Seraphina as if stating the obvious.

" Oh, I see, " remarked Lockhart .

After some time, the contestants started popping to the surface . Seraphina ran to the platform as she saw the girl from Beauxbatons swim to the surface first. Within a few minutes Lucifer and Lucas swam to the surface at the same time causing a tie for the second position. Lucifer held the struggling Elenore as he helped her swim to the platform . Lucas helped a small boy to the surface who happened to be his step-brother . Adalene helped the girl from Beauxbatons out ; she was her friend. 

Seraphina wrapped towels around her friends as she hugged them tightly . Her own clothes got soaked because of them, but it didn't bothered her a bit . 

" Oh, my lovebird , are you okay ?" asked Seraphina.

After embracing her friends for a long time, Seraphina pulled away and went to look for Lucas who already had a huge crowd of Durmstrang boys crowded around him . Seeing Seraphina approaching them the crowd parted to make space for her . 

" Are you all right ?" asked Seraphina . 

" I am fine, " replied Lucas , shivering badly . 

Seraphina gave him a codfish . 

ልረልክ

Before the last task, a ball was to be organized . The Yule Ball . Students were going crazy with Yule Ball hype . 

While everyone was busy hyping the ball, Seraphina had the opposite reaction . She was the least interested in going to a ball , wearing a dress, or dancing with someone . The last time she went to a dance organized at her Muggle school , she was alone without any partner . But this time a partner was compulsory, and she feared that arriving to the ball alone for the second time would be so embarrassing . She expected no one to ask her but something very unexpected happened .

The very morning she stepped into the Great Hall for breakfast and the Headmaster made the announcement regarding the ball , she received uncountable proposals . Every boy was going crazy to go to the ball with the girl who conquered the dragon and was the honorary contender of the tournament. It was a clear choice for Seraphina with whom she would go to the Ball . Lucas Karlsson asked her the very moment Headmaster Dumbledore announced the Yule Ball, and she agreed . 

She needed to get a dress. The trip to Hogsmeade was futile. Seraphina wasn't convinced by a single gown the lady at the shop displayed to her . Either the gowns were too revealing or too boring . She returned to Hogwarts empty handed.   
Seraphina wanted something elegant yet presentable for the ball, but the quest for the perfect dress didn't last long . One morning, a large parcel dropped in front of her in the Great Hall . It was from Daniel . He also had written her a letter. 

My dearest Seraphina , 

Having fun at your magical school ? I knew you wouldn't have selected a dress without me, so just wear the one I am sending and rock the Ball . Rachel helped me pick this one . Your Brandon is going nuts without you , so just come back soon for Christmas, and I want you to meet Rachel's parents. 

Ask that Lucas to be a gentleman with my little Ravenclaw . And how's that lovebird of yours? 

I miss you badly .

With lots of love ,  
Your loving  
Daniel 

A warm , genuine smile crept on her face as she read the letter . The parcel was from Daniel , the most caring man she had ever met . He knew her taste perfectly so she was left with nothing to worry about . She had a partner and a mesmerizing dress; that was all she needed . 

But Seraphina's leisure was short lived . Professor McGonagall called for the three contenders and Seraphina for a small meeting . 

" I hope you all know a partner is compulsory for the contenders of the foundation . So, I hope you all have a partner for the dance, " said Professor McGonagall .

The four of them nodded sheepishly. 

" Who will be your partner Miss Bernard? " asked Professor McGonagall .

" James Richardson, " replied Adalene .

" And I think it would offend Miss Wilson if I ask who would be your partner Mr. Jones, " commented Professor McGonagall . A sly smirk crept upon her lips . 

Seraphina giggled at her professor's comment .

" And you Mr. Karlsson? " She turned towards Lucas .

" Seraphina accepted my proposal, " he replied. 

" I am sorry to inform you two that a contender is not allowed to take another one to the ball, " said McGonagall.

" What? " shrieked Seraphina .

" You two have to look for other partners Mister Karlsson and Miss Barclay , " added McGonagall.

Seraphina didn't knew what was to be done. She felt helpless . All the boys who had asked her before had asked other girls and everybody in the school had a partner except for Seraphina . History seemed to repeat itself again for her . Only one day was left before the ball, and she was without a dance partner again . It seemed to her she would be alone yet again for the dance . Lucas got a partner for himself without much hard work. 

Lucifer and Elenore tried helping her, but even the lovebird wasn't able to get her a partner .

*

Severus made his way to the Great Hall where the Yule Ball was being held . He dressed himself differently for that night. He sensed something unusual was about to happen tonight . He wore a long black coat , ditching his cape for the evening. As he reached the corridor of the Great Hall , he saw a crowd of young girls and boys dressed up beautifully for the night. He scanned the corridor for the young Ravenclaw, but she wasn't there . He walked further to enter the Hall when a hand grabbed his arm. It was Minerva . 

" Oh, Severus , I need you to do me a favor ," said the old witch in an upset tone. 

" Yes Minerva? " he said .

" Please can you come aside? " she asked dragging him with her. 

" What is it Minerva? Just spit it out, " he demanded impatiently.

Minerva dragged him to the uninhabited end of a long corridor which was dimly lit with a few candles . His eyes fell on a girl standing there alone , her back facing him . She was in front of a large window, looking outside. Her body was shaking with nervousness . A beautiful blue gown flowed to the ground . 

" Seraphina , I got your partner for tonight, " said Minerva. 

The girl turned to face them . It was Seraphina . Her body was clad in an alluring off-shoulder light blue gown . She looked magnificent . Her raven hair was tied in a neat bun with a flower tiara crowned on her head. Flawless... she looked flawless . Whatever Minerva said entered his ears, but his brain didn't seem to acknowledge it . His eyes were locked on the angelic girl standing in front of him . He was so occupied with her beauty that he ignored the baffled look on her face . 

" Professor McGonagall , he is Professor Snape, " she said.

" I know that very well, Seraphina; and he will be taking you to the ball tonight, " Minerva announced.

" But Professor..." protested Seraphina under her breath .

" Listen, Seraphina, you are an honorary contender of this tournament, and having a partner for this ball is essential . Now, no boy is without a partner, so I found you this young man, " said McGonagall.

As Minerva's words sunk in his ears, and he understood what the old witch meant , Severus flinched at once and started to walk away from the two ladies . Minerva ran after him, leaving a baffled, unanswered Seraphina behind them . She grabbed his arm , forcing him to stop at once .

" What is it now Minerva? Please don't say you want me to take a student to the Yule Ball and dance with her, " he growled.

" Severus, please listen to me. The girl doesn't have a partner for tonight, and all the boys are already taken . So, please take her to the dance, or I'll have to ask someone else to do so, and I can say you won't like him taking her to the ball, " said Minerva calmly. 

Severus didn't answered . What type of favor was Minerva asking of him? Taking a student to the dance - taking Seraphina to the dance. 

" I can't do it, Minerva, " he replied under his breath .

" Ok, " sighed Minerva. " Then I have to ask someone else to take her to the dance. Gilderoy will serve my purpose nicely . He would love to take her to the dance, " she continued.

Lockhart's name sent a stinging pain down his spine . The image of Lockhart dancing with Seraphina appeared before his eyes. The small figure of Seraphina danced harrowingly before him , her eyes drowned in onerous hate . The sight angered him venomously . 

" Professor Lockhart, " called Minerva as she moved away from Severus .

" Ah, yes, Professor McGonagall? " answered Lockhart who was approaching them . Clad in navy blue robes , he looked handsome that night . 

" Leave it Minerva. Ask someone else . Is there no boy left at Hogwarts to take her to the ball? " hissed Severus as he approached her .

" Unfortunately , no, " replied Minerva quietly.

" You called for me, Professor McGonagall? " asked Lockhart cheerfully .

" Oh, yes, I want you to do me a favor, " she said.

" Ah, I would love to, " replied the blonde .

" Professor McGonagall wants you to go straight to the Great Hall this very moment, " interrupted Severus .

" Well, I was going there already, " replied Lockhart .

Lockhart left the two and went off to the Hall . Minerva turned to Severus giving him a death stare.

" What is your problem Severus? You aren't taking her yourself, and now you shoved Lockhart away, too . What, do you want, the girl to be embarrassed in front of the whole school for not having a dance partner? " growled the old witch .

" I will take her, " replied Severus in a defeated tone . 

" Oh, gracious God ," squeaked Minerva as she dragged him to Seraphina who stood rooted in her place in the shadows. 

" Here's your partner, Seraphina, " she announced.

" But Professor McGonagall, I think a teacher can't be taken to the ball, " said Seraphina hesitantly .

" There are no written rules about the choice of partner, Miss Barclay . So, I think you both should head towards the gate because the entry of the contenders will be in five minutes, " commanded professor McGonagall .

" Wait , please say there is no special entrance of the contenders in the ball, " intruded Seraphina .

" Yes, there is, Miss Barclay, and you have to dance with Professor Snape " said Minerva .

Seraphina's eyes almost popped out of their sockets . Dance with Professor Snape in front of everyone? Shit ! But her chain of thoughts was cut short by the deep , enticing voice of the man who stood in front of her; her dance partner for tonight.

Professor McGonagall walked away, leaving them both facing each other in the dark corridor. 

" I assume that the entrance of the contenders will be in a minute or two. We should head there, Miss Barclay, " said Batman calmly .

" Oh! Yes, professor, " replied Seraphina .

Both of them turned towards the Great Hall as Severus nudged his arm towards Seraphina for her to hold . She hesitantly wrapped her hand around his muscular arm . 

Soon they were near the other contenders and their respective partners . Nobody noticed the entrance of the girl who conquered the dragon and the defeater of The Dark Lord, and it relieved Seraphina. She didn't want any questions at that moment . A line was formed. Lucas Karlsson stood at the first position and Seraphina chose the last spot . The gate doors of the Great Hall thudded open and a magnificent sight greeted them . A beautiful crowd of students heralded them with thunderous applause. 

Seraphina looked pale as death .

" Don't worry, Miss Barclay. Just smile and wave, " whispered Severus as he leaned over her ear . She squeezed his arm a little out of nervousness .

Seraphina looked up to the man who stood next to her and deeply inhaled . 

" Let's rock this, Professor Snape, " said Seraphina determinedly .

They walked slowly into the Great Hall . More than half of the hall almost fainted when they saw the duo at the end of the line . The Greasy Git of the dungeon was walking next to the Warrior of Ravenclaw . Only one question rose in everyone's mind. How the hell on this earth had Seraphina convinced him to be her partner for the Ball? 

Seraphina looked alluring in that off-shoulder light blue gown . Seraphina and Severus looked like Ariel , the angel of God walking down with the Azrael ,the angel of death itself . Those on the dance floor waited for them . The four contenders turned and faced their partners, ready to dance . Seraphina stood there looking up at the slender face of her professor .

" Sorry, Professor, for causing you discomfort " whispered Seraphina .

Severus didn't answer her. He just gave her a reassuring smirk . A wave of very mixed emotions flowed through his body . Somewhere deep inside, he had wanted to dance with her ever since the Halloween party . He didn't know what had happened to him. He never felt urges of this type before, but now his urges forced him into doing many things . Shoving off the thoughts, he slipped his hand onto the back of the Ravenclaw standing in front of him and held her hand . The music filled the Great Hall and they started dancing . 

The dance with Batman wasn't awkward at all . While pirouetting with Batman , one thing almost slipped Seraphina's mind . What would she tell everyone? How would she explain why her partner for the Yule Ball was a professor? She didn't want to ruin her dance with Batman, though, thinking about other people and what they would think . 

The traditional dance included a step raising up the female partner in the air . Seraphina thought it would be best to skip that step but Batman had other plans . He quickly slipped his hand around her waist and lifted her up , forcing her to hold his shoulder . She was quite light. 

Seraphina's face turned a dark shade of red as Batman lifted her . 

Headmaster Dumbledore took Professor McGonagall to the dance floor .

" I can't believe my eyes. Severus is dancing . How did you get him into doing so, Minerva? " asked Albus, smiling a cunning smile .

" Lockhart was a nice bait, " replied Minerva with a sly smile . " And what do you think, only you care about Severus? Don't forget, I also know how miserable he was after Lilly . I will do my best to spark things up between those two, " she continued.

" Oh, Minerva, " muttered Albus .

Other students joined them on the dance floor . The first song ended, and Severus escorted Seraphina off the dance floor to the drinks counter to get her a drink . 

" One Lemon Lavender please, " he ordered the House-elf at the counter . 

" Oh, my God, that was the best dance I ever had in my life! " Seraphina gushed . 

Severus handed Seraphina her Lemon Lavender . Lucifer and Elenore joined them at the counter . Elenore was clad in a lilac gown and Lucifer wore Black robes . 

" Girl, where were you before the dance? We'd been looking for you the whole time," Lucifer said. He sounded concerned.

" Oh, I was just looking for a partner, " joked Seraphina . 

" Seriously, " groaned Elenore .

" No, seriously. I would have turned up here without a partner if Professor Snape hadn't helped me . It would have been a disgrace to come to the ball without any partner, Professor McGonagall told me," said Seraphina casually . She'd told the truth; that was exactly what had happened to her . 

" You know, for the first time I have to say that we boys are more loyal than you girls . Come on, Lilly left Jordan for Lucas ," said Lucifer disgustedly .

" Who would leave a beautiful girl for me? " chuckled Seraphina .

Severus stood there silently . He didn't intrude when Seraphina counted herself less than the other girls , but he felt bad . Lucifer took her to the dance floor.

" Batman, seriously. Could you not find a single boy in this whole frickin' castle? " asked Lucifer as they both danced .

" Be thankful to him that I don't have to turn up to the ball alone like the last time, " said Seraphina . "And professor McGonagall just brought him at the last minute so I couldn't say anything, " she continued .

" So, you liked dancing with the Greasy Git, " asked Lucifer, baffled . 

" Yes, of course I did. At least I am happy Professor McGonagall didn't turned up with Lockhart . And dancing with Batman wasn't that awkward after all, " she replied . 

" You know I always wondered why everyone called you a weirdo. I just got my answer," chuckled Lucifer. 

" And what's the answer? " asked Seraphina curiously .

" A girl who is happy that Batman took her to dance and hates Lockhart . There aren't many people like you in this world, girl, " chuckled Lucifer .

" Thanks, " Seraphina said in mock gratitude. 

Lucas and a few more boys asked her to dance after Lucifer . Severus stood at his place the rest of the evening. No one dared to ask him for a dance, and he didn't asked anyone else to dance either . 

" You both looked perfect dancing with each other, " chuckled Albus as he slipped next to Severus. 

" For Merlin's sake, she is sixteen. Leave it alone, Albus," groaned Severus .

" Ah, come on, Severus; accept it. You liked the dance , didn't you? " teased Albus as he nudged the young teacher lightly .

Severus left the gravely inappropriate question unanswered . How could this old man be excited about ruining the life of that sixteen-year-old lovable witch? Ignoring the old wizard next to him, he scanned the hall for Gilderoy Lockhart . He didn't wanted that witless blonde to ruin Seraphina's night even by hoovering near her . But to Severus's disappointment he found him near that very person . Lockhart stood close to Seraphina , the irritable smile plastered to his lips. The one on the girl's face was a painful smile . He watched Lockhart grab her wrist and drag her to the dance floor with him . The painstaking smile faded from the young witch's face . 

" Well, answer my one question Seraphina. Did you asked Professor Snape to the dance? " asked Lockhart with a look of bafflement. 

She narrated him the true story . Lockhart laughed heartily after she completed her story . 

" You should have asked me, Seraphina, " he said, controlling his laughter . " I still can't believe Professor Snape agreed. " He managed to speak before breaking into a fit of laughter again .

" Thanks, Professor, but I actually didn't asked Professor Snape. Professor McGonagall dragged him to me when I confessed to her that I didn't have a partner, " she replied quietly .

The dance ended and Lockhart led her off the dance floor. He was still hovering over Seraphina's head . Seraphina grabbed her fifth glass of Lemon lavender . She loved the drink Batman had gotten for her . 

" So, who was the best dance partner ?" asked Lockhart, leaning on the drinks counter next to Seraphina.

Seraphina gulped down the content of the glass at once after hearing the question .

" Hmmmmm..." she hummed. " I will say Professor Snape was the best, " a casual reply came .

Lockhart's handsome face fell hard. he'd expected to hear his name . One thing baffled him that the Greasy Git was consistently on her mind . He couldn't resist the urge to ask her .

" Well, I hope you don't mind me asking, but you seem to be deep into Professor Snape," he remarked .

" Oh, so what do you expect me to be, sir . Literally, Professor Snape saved me from getting embarrassed for the second time, " said Seraphina casually . Suddenly a look of horror came over her face . She regretted saying that .

" The second time? " asked Lockhart with a look of curiosity.

" Huh, " she sighed. " When I studied at the Muggle school , they had a dance just like the Yule Ball where you have to arrive with a partner, " she continued with a serious look .

" So, " said Lockhart as curiosity was killing him .

" And I didn't had a date for the evening, and I turned up there alone . It was very embarrassing seeing everyone with a partner and just being there alone, " the reply came in a defeated voice . 

" Aahhh... were the boys at that Muggle school blind? If a beautiful girl like you is not asked, then I have to say all the boys there have very dreadful taste, " said Lockhart, passing Seraphina a reassuring smile . 

His words felt nice . For the first time ever since she arrived at Hogwarts , Lockhart seemed nice to her . When he held a decent conversation without his self admiration , he didn't seem that awful . 

" You know, back when I was a student just like you , I went to the Ball with a beautiful girl, " chuckled Lockhart .

" It must have been a great experience , right? " asked Seraphina .

" Yes, she was nice, but I didn't enjoyed myself dancing with her as much as I did with you, Seraphina, " commented Lockhart.

" Ah, these compliments are way more than I can handle, " said Seraphina , scarlet dusted her cheeks .

" No, I am not lying, " chuckled Lockhart . Seraphina joined him . She liked this side of Lockhart that was not so full of himself; the side which acknowledged others . 

The rest of the evening, Seraphina spent chatting and laughing with a Lockhart she had never seen before: a goofy , nice and humble man . 

Severus narrowly eyed the unconvincing pair for the rest of the evening . He felt the flow of blood increasing in his veins as his muscles tightened . His heart throbbed hard as a tingling sensation waved through his body . Breathing heavily, Severus tried to calm himself . He never felt so angry before. Not even when he saw Lily with James . He always drank his anger seeing Lily happy with him . He always wanted to see Lily happy, even of it meant seeing her marrying someone who wasn't him . 

The lovely night came to an end at last, and everyone retired . But someone didn't exit the Hall with everyone else . Seraphina waved her goodbyes to her friends and scanned the hall for someone clad in black . Batman wasn't there. He must have left though Seraphina . She made her exit from the hall towards the prefects' dorm . The exhaustion made the trip to her dorm tiresomely long . Kicking off her blue heels, Seraphina picked them up and continue walking . The long corridor was uninhabited by that hour, but Seraphina's eyes fell on a dark figure marching towards her in the corridor. 

A tired looking Seraphina greeted Severus as he approached the girl . At first he didn't even noticed her presence, his anger blinded him so badly . 

" Professor Snape, " Seraphina's voice broke his chain of deep thoughts . Something softened inside him at the sight of the young witch . 

" Miss Barclay, may I know what are you doing here? I assume the ball has ended? " asked Batman .

" I was looking for you, Professor, " replied Seraphina .

" May I know the reason? " asked her professor .

" I just wanted to thank you for accepting to go with me to the ball at the last moment , otherwise it would have been very embarrassing " said Seraphina .

Severus nodded slightly , but he didn't speak a word . The witch left . 

ልረልክ

Finally , the day of the last task arrived . For the last task the contenders were required to enter an enchanted maze where they were supposed to search for a trophy . All the participants were nervous. No one knew who would win . 

Seraphina was asked to watch the event with the faculty and Ministry officials again . Sitting there next to Gilderoy Lockhart , Seraphina had a better experience that evening . Lockhart was behaving differently ever since the Yule Ball . He was the same goofy , amiable man Seraphina spent her Yule Ball evening with , but when he was around anyone else, he was still the same The Gilderoy Lockhart . 

It took 20 minutes for the participants to find the trophy . Lucifer and Adalene emerged from the maze together , trophy in hand . Seraphina jumped out of her seat and ran towards her friend . Seraphina pressed both of the winners in a tight embrace . 

" Oh, God, Lucifer you did it, " Seraphina said excitedly . 

Elenore jumped into Lucifer's arms, and they shared a passionate kiss . Seraphina stepped away, giving the couple space . A warm smile was on her lips but a painful sadness filled her raven eyes. Lucifer and Elenore pulled her into their hug . 

Severus saw the look on her face. She was happy for her friend but something saddened her. 

ልረልክ

The Ravenclaw dorm was packed with shouting students . Everyone was shouting Lucifer's name . There was a tie between Lucifer and Adalene and the award prize would be distributed between the two of them . Seraphina stayed with the lovebird till midnight, until everyone retired . Seraphina told her goodnight and headed for the prefects' dorm . 

Sitting in her chamber , she thought about the lovebird . Lucifer and Elenore were lucky to have someone to care for them , protect them, and love them . 

Sighing out a sigh at the thought of someone loving her , she wondered who would do that . She wasn't beautiful and her intellect was hard to match . Would anyone ever fall in love with a geeky bookworm?


	12. Chapter - 12 Gilderoy Lockhart's Feelings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What is Gilderoy Lockhart feeling for a certain someone ?

A special thank to -  
Rachna Kumar ( my most adorable mother who is the main source of my creativity . If she wouldn't have heard the idea and had not given me the suggestions , I wouldn't have been able to wrote this Awkward story )   
Sovit Roy_Satoshi xy ( my dearest and most loviest friend , who understands me the best and perfectly . I don't know how many people I can count on but you are first one on the list )  
Debra Johnson_debjunk ( a great support system and one of my greatest critique )

Please accept my gratitude . Thanks for helping me accomplish my goal of writing this story with utter perfection . I felt uncertain while writing this particular chapter and you were the one who helped me write it and make it immensely readable for my lovely readers .

WARNING ! - This chapter contains sexual abuse and adult language .

Christmas crawled in quietly without anyone's notice . The students who would be leaving for the holidays registered their names to the Head of their Houses . Seraphina , George and the lovebirds were leaving Hogwarts that evening in the Hogwarts Express after the feast . 

Seraphina bought Christmas presents for all her friends and the teachers. So did George and the Lovebirds . After attending the hearty feast , Seraphina, who was visibly content with her present shopping , personally gifted the presents to everyone . She presented George with a bright-yellow scarf and a lot of candies from Honeydukes Sweets shop . She gave the lovebirds each a gold plated pendant, explaining to them how it could be connected together and that it would take the shape of a heart. A tight hug awaited her next. Elenore also got a DVD of Sense and Sensibility , a Muggle movie starring the actor Alan . Ever since Elenore had seen his photograph in Seraphina's chamber , she has been crushing hard on that Muggle. Lucifer, on the other hand, got a Broom maintenance kit for his Xena seven fifty broom from Seraphina. . 

George gifted Seraphina a box of paints from Vader's Painting Shop with a hand-made Christmas card. A book on Charms from Lucifer and a scarlet cardigan from Elenore awaited her beneath the small Christmas tree kept in the Prefects’ dorm . Lucas also sent a gift for her from Durmstrang. It was a brown vambrace with an engraving depicting her sitting on a dragon . It was a very enchanting gift, she thought . Before the departure for Newport, Seraphina personally went to each of her professors to give them their presents . While each of her teachers thanked her for the presents , one teacher did something very unexpected and quiet surprising . Professor Lockhart , who had been a whole different person to her ever since the Yule Ball, handed her a box wrapped with blue velvety paper . A baffled Seraphina gave her professor a surprised look. 

" What is this Professor? " asked Seraphina, her brows knit in confusion . 

" A Christmas present, " stated Lockhart as if stating the obvious . 

Seraphina stood in front of her professor , her mouth gaping in awe . 

" That's very sweet of you, professor, but I can't accept it, " cried the young Ravenclaw. 

" Come on Seraphina , don't be so reticent . For Merlin's sake, it's Christmas . Now please open it for me. I want to see the look on your face when you see what's inside," said Professor Lockhart, waving his hand in dismay . 

Hesitantly, Seraphina tore the velvety blue wrapping paper . The paper covered a black box. Opening it, she almost jumped up in her place with excitement. The black box contained a vintage analogue pocket watch to which a golden chain was attached . It was just like her mother's which had shattered after the curse stuck her . She had been looking for a replacement like crazy , but every time her quest had been futile . The shopkeepers shoved her off by saying that the pocket watch she was asking for was a limited edition and only 45 such watches were made over 25 years ago . 

" Oh my God , where did you find this, sir ?!" squeaked Seraphina as a tear slipped down her cheek . She was overwhelmed by receiving a gift so close to her heart. 

" I knew you were looking for this watch for a long time , so I thought gifting you one would be the best gift, " said Lockhart , warmly smiling at her. 

" But this was a limited edition , how did you get it ?" repeated Seraphina , as she quickly wiped the tear away , composing herself. 

" Having contacts can be fruitful sometimes, " commented her professor . 

" Professor, you don't know how much happiness your gift has given me. I don't know if my gift could ever reciprocate my gratitude, " said Seraphina. Her gaze fixed on her Professor's blue orbs . 

" It's from you, and that makes it sterling for me, " said Lockhart . 

Seraphina badly wanted to hug the man standing in front of her . He wasn't that awful after all . But she controlled herself and only thanked him . 

Now only one professor was left and that was Batman . The photograph from the Daily Prophet faded away from everyone's memories quickly, and she was only remembered as Ravenclaw's warrior now . Also, Batman hadn’t reacted much to that photograph, causing the awkwardness to lie dormant . As she approached the far end of the dungeons, her eyes fell on Batman, who stood in front of the portrait of the warrior-like man . 

" Professor Snape, " shouted Seraphina, running towards her professor . 

" Yes , Miss Barclay, " said Batman as the girl stopped in front of him , panting heavily. 

" Merry Christmas sir !" cried Seraphina as she extended the box in her hand towards him . 

Batman didn't take the gift right away. Instead, he looked at her with an arched eyebrow and a baffled expression on his long face . 

Seraphina noticed his hesitation and softly spoke in a courteous manner. 

" Sir, it is not a prank, and it won't blow up when you open it . It's Christmas, and I am just gifting you a small gift . I hope you like it. " 

" There was no need for a gift, Miss Barclay. You are already a good student, and I don't assume… " remarked Severus , but Seraphina cut him off. 

" Sir, it's simply a Christmas present, and of all the things I have ever done in my life , bribing my teacher is the not one of them. " The reply came calmly without the hint of offense. 

For the first time in many years that had passed, Severus was speechless . Unlike other students, this girl wasn't scared to speak to him . She spoke her words in a very discreet manner without offending the other person . Masking his surprise, Severus took the gift from her delicate hands , but he didn't unwrap it that very instant . 

" I am sorry to say, but I have nothing to give you in return, Miss Barclay, " replied Severus with regret . 

" Professor, Christmas is about sharing happiness, not expecting a gift ." The calm reply came from the witch standing in front of him . 

"Happy Holidays, Professor Snape, " wished Seraphina as she turned to leave . 

" Happy Holidays, Miss Barclay, " The words left his lips in no more than a whisper . 

" Sakhiusan Tenger " said Severus . 

Seraphina heard the portrait door swing open, and the fading footsteps of her Potions Master . He changed the password . But why ? What does that password mean ? Shoving off those thoughts, she walked towards the Grand Entrance of the castle . After all, it was Batman's choice to choose his password . 

ልረልክ 

Seraphina sat alone in the compartment of the Hogwarts Express , gazing at the panoramic landscape passing by. Lucifer had gone to discuss the upcoming Quidditch World Cup with his team, and Elenore had gone to grab some sweets from the plump lady with the snacks trolley . Suddenly, she remembered the vintage pocket watch Professor Lockhart had gifted her, and she pulled it out of her overcoat 's pocket . While she stroked the engravings on it with her thumb, a tear rolled down her eyes . The watch was just like the one her mom had . Her mother loved that watch. It was always with her no matter what . Seraphina's grandmother had given it to her mother when she had turned 25. But after the curse shattered it, no man on Earth could mend it again, and ever since then, Seraphina had been looking for a watch just like it, so that she could remember her mother every second of her life. 

" Seph are you crying ?!" shrieked the voice of Elenore as she thudded open the door of the compartment . The girl’s voice snapped Seraphina out of her chain of thoughts . 

" What ? No ! No, no I am not crying, " said Seraphina under her breath . 

" I am not blind . Now tell me what made my Seph cry? " demanded Elenore as she slipped next to Seraphina and flung an arm around her, crushing her with a hug . 

" Nothing , I just found what I was looking for, " said Seraphina calmly . 

" What ?! Where did you find the watch ?" cried an excited Elenore . 

" A Christmas present, " hinted Seraphina . 

" Who gave you that watch ? Come on, Seph , now just spit it out, " said Elenore , curiosity dripping from her voice. 

" Professor Lockhart, " a casual reply came from Seraphina. 

" But how did he know I wanted this watch? " questioned Seraphina to herself . 

" Holy jinxes ! “ shrieked Elenore , jumping on her seat . " Professor Lockhart gave it to you , but why ? " whispered Elenore . 

" I don't have any answer for that Elenore, " muttered Seraphina under her breath . 

In the whole excitement of receiving what she was longing for , she almost forget to ask Professor Lockhart how he had known that she’d needed it . She had never talked to him about the watch - actually no one apart from George , the lovebirds and Daniel knew she wanted that watch . 

Suddenly, the excitement and zeal of Christmas faded away and an austere look came over her face . 

" But how did he know I wanted this watch? " repeated Seraphina , with a grave tone . 

Lucifer entered the compartment, seeing the two females surrounded by thick silence , he enquired as to what was going on . Elenore narrated the whole incident for him . 

" I said it before, and I am saying it again , that Lockhart means no good . I think… " he stopped before the last words could fall out of his lips . 

" You think what ?!" cried the girls together . 

" He has been spying on you, Seph . " The reply came in a defeated tone . 

" Come on, Lucifer , don't be so ridiculous ! Why the hell would Professor Lockhart spy on me ?!" cried Seraphina in dismay . 

" Don't act so naive , Seph. He is always desperate to hold conversations with you . We all have seen how desperately he held you in the class after you fell on the floor , even though you didn't need his help . And for Merlin's sake, please don't deny it. You told me how he forcefully dragged you to the dance floor during the Halloween party, " snorted Lucifer as he continued. " He’s never given anyone anything, but he gave you that good-for-nothing pendant . Ok, just tell me yourself, Seph ; you never felt that he was too keen to talk to you and be in your proximity . And who the hell on this Earth asks a student out for a walk? " 

Seraphina was speechless . She didn't know where this conversation was leading. What was it that Lucifer was trying to tell her? Seraphina let out the breath she’d been holding for so long. 

" What are you trying to say, Lucifer? Just spit it out straight !" snapped Elenore . 

" What I am trying to say is that Lockhart doesn't see you as a student, Seph . Now don't get me wrong here, but I think Lockhart feels differently for you, Seraphina " said Lucifer in a defeated tone. 

" LUCIFER !" fumed Elenore in a warning tone . 

" What Elenore ? Please don't ignore the facts ! No teacher asks a student to dance or gives them expensive watches . Did Professor Flitwick ever ask you for a walk or drag you out on the dance floor forcefully ?" snorted Lucifer. His face had turned the darkest shade of scarlet due to yelling . 

" Batman asked Seraphina to dance, and you never lost your mind !" defended Elenore . 

" Oh girl ! Do you even know why Batman was on the floor with Seph? Professor McGonagall asked him to do Seph this favor because we both , her closet friends, weren't able to find a frikin’ boy for her, " roared Lucifer . 

Seraphina sat there silently listening to her friends with truancy, arguing over a matter of her personal concern . Every word Lucifer spoke fell on her ears and sent a stinging pain into her chest . He was right. Every word he spoke was right . Professor Lockhart did treat her differently . 

" So, what do you want to say , that Lockhart likes Seph? " vented Elenore as she slapped her palm hard on the gate of the compartment. 

" Umm... I don't know if that's the right word, but yes, he does feel something else for Seph that he shouldn't, " said Lucifer trying to calm down himself. 

No, not again, thought Seraphina . 

Not another teacher who saw her as more than a just a student . Wasn't it enough the last time? Oh God, how would she handle it all over again when she was alone? 

" Seph, I know you don't want to hear this, but you can't ignore it either . I am actually afraid that my theory is the harsh reality I was trying to ignore all too long . I don't want that Lockhart to hurt you like before, " said Lucifer prudently as he went on his knees in front of Seraphina and held her hands which looked tiny compared to his own. Seraphina still sat there silently hearkening to what he had said . 

" Lucifer, I know you hate Lockhart, but that doesn't mean you can accuse him of such a dishonest and disgraceful thing !" shouted Elenore . Seraphina and Lucifer both ignored what the girl was saying . Elenore didn't accept the fact because for her, Lockhart was her hero: a handsome and brave warrior . 

" Please say it's not true. Please say Lockhart doesn't feel anything for me . Please, " whispered Seraphina . She tried hard to hold back the tears but they reluctantly escaped her eyelids . 

" Seph, I know I understand that no one wants to hear that, but please listen to me first . Just stay away from Lockhart and ignore him as much as possible . I don't want anyone to hurt you ever again, " said Lucifer with an assuring tone and a brotherly superiority . 

"But answer me one thing, Lucifer. Why would a man like Lockhart have feelings ,as you say , for a student ?" questioned Elenore in a frustrated voice . 

Lucifer got up and forced Seraphina to get up too. Holding her wrist, he dragged her to the gate of the compartment to get her some fresh air . Before leaving an unanswered Elenore behind, he turned towards her and said - 

" Because she isn’t like all of you who flatter and are ready to do anything for him. " 

Elenore's eyes widened at the offending statement . But before she could say anything the other two had left . 

Lucifer dragged Seraphina to the sitting compartment of the Hogwarts Express, buying a glass of pumpkin juice for her. He forced her to sip it when she refused . After a long moment of silence, Seraphina spoke for the first time . 

" You shouldn't have said that, Lucifer . It was very offensive . Elenore is very angry with you, " she said in no more than a whisper . 

" Elenore was acting like a child, Seph . How could she ignore all those facts just because she likes that witless blonde? " snorted Lucifer . 

Seraphina chose to leave that question unanswered . He was right yet again; Elenore indeed was acting like a child . 

The rest of Seraphina's train journey slipped away in reconciling the bitterness between Elenore and Lucifer . Reaching the King's Cross station , the railway instructor let two students at a time cross through the enchanted wall . Lucifer crossed the wall with Seraphina and a vaguely angered Elenore crossed with George. Walking out of the station with her friends , Seraphina's eyes fell on the lusty black Mercedes Benz, A-class , onto which was leaning a tall , crisp and handsome man who looked to be around his forties . Seeing Seraphina approach, the man ran towards her group . 

" Seraphina ! " exclaimed the man out of excitement. He pressed the young witch in a tight embrace , lifting her in the air . 

" Oh, Daniel !" cried Seraphina as she wrapped her arms around his stiff torso . 

He held her like that for a few long minutes . Her schoolmates saw their friend in the arms of the man named Daniel , whom Seraphina talked about very highly. Pulling away from the tight embrace, Seraphina turned towards her friends. 

" You must be George, " said Daniel as he passed him a warm smile . His smile was similar to Seraphina's , genuine and sweet . 

" Yes … sir ," mumbled George shyly . He was confused about how to designate the man . 

" Ah, please, I will die from the burden of being called that, little fella, " chuckled Daniel as his emerald green eyes twinkled in the phosphorescence of the sun . By that time, George , Elenore and Lucifer's family had also joined them . 

Lucifer was from a Wizarding family, so his parents were boisterously overjoyed when they saw Seraphina. They received some curious looks from the Muggle passing by . 

" Oh my God , I still can't believe you jumped into the dragon's pit, " cried Mr. Jones . 

" People still remember that ? " asked a baffled Seraphina . 

"Oh dear ! people won't forget that for an eternity . There are not many wizards who deliberately jump in front of a dragon and still breathe . Well, how did you made that dragon obey you? " asked Mr. Jones. 

" Ah, Dad, come on , she had to answer that question for God knows how many times . Leave her, " said Lucifer as he shoved his father’s arm . 

" Lucifer , don't be so rude, " Seraphina warned her friend . 

" Well, I also need an answer for that, Seraphina ," Daniel broke in. 

" Oh, Daniel ," cried Seraphina shyly . 

No one talked about the drama that had happened in the train . Seraphina requested Lucifer and Elenore to not say anything to Daniel about Lockhart and his feelings for her . They respected her request. After all, it was her personal concern, and they both respected that . 

Everyone said their goodbyes and went on their own way . Daniel helped Seraphina stuff her trunk and Hans’ cage in the back of his Mercedes . 

" Seraphina, seriously tell me what were you thinking when you jumped in front of a dragon? " asked Daniel with a grave voice. He didn't looked at her , his eyes were fixed on the road ahead as he drove . 

" Daniel ..." sighed Seraphina . " A friend could have died, and I couldn't have let him die when I was capable of saving his life . You know how helpless I was last time with Dad , but I wasn't that pathetic now, " she continued in a defensive tone . 

" Listen, Seraphina, of all the amazing things you are , pathetic isn't one of them . And there was nothing you could have done the last time, so please don't blame yourself for it , Angel," said Daniel calmly, but his tone was severe . 

Seraphina passed him a look of dismay . Letting out a little sigh from her lips she tried to change the topic . 

" So how's Rachel ?" 

" Oh, Rachel ! She is fine . Actually you know she is looking forward to meeting you again . You know I have invited her family over for a Christmas feast . I told them all about you, and they are looking forward to meeting my little 16 year-old, intelligent sister," said Daniel excitedly . 

" I never thought someone was looking forward to meeting me, " said a genuinely surprised Seraphina . 

The drive home was a pleasant and refreshing ride for her after the whole drama that happened in the train . She was looking forward to celebrating her Christmas with her only family left and the love of his love . 

ልረልክ 

Severus placed the present clad in black wrapping paper that Seraphina had given him on his work desk . The girl was inscrutable, but somewhere deep inside he wanted to know her more , understand her more . He couldn't remember that he ever felt that way for anyone else in his life. Not even for Lily . 

He had started to receive many gifts for Christmas from people he didn't even know . Most of the presents were from the Ministry of Magic . After all, he was the one who had killed Lord Voldemort and saved the wizarding world from the darkest and the most evil wizard ever born . But the young Ravenclaw's present was the most surprising . Not many students preferred to give him gifts because of his rude and grumpy persona , but he still received many presents , most of them as bribes from students to get some extra credits . 

Seraphina's gift stood apart from them all . It was a genuine gift without it masking any intention . Picking the box up from the table, his long slender fingers traced the edges. Tearing off the wrapping paper , a brown box appeared. Severus felt curious unwrapping it . Pulling out the wooden frame from inside , he almost fell on his armchair kept near the fireplace . Inside it was a framed painting of him . The utterly convincing and human portrait looked just like him . The strong two-tone painting was just alluring . A small signature was scribbled at the rear right corner of it . Reading - 

𝘴ꫀ𝘳ꪖρꫝ𝓲ꪀꪖ ᥇𝘲𝘳ᥴꪶꪖꪗ 

The girl was an artist too . 

Merlin she is truly gifted , thought Severus . 

It was hard to believe that a sixteen-year-old painted him so flatteringly . It wasn't an enchanted portrait, but instead, she had drawn it in the Muggle way . 

Gazing at his own portrait for a long time , Severus made a decision . Standing up from his armchair , the portrait still in his hands , he walked towards the mantle of his fireplace . On the mantle were kept many enchanted photographs of him with the Minister for Magic when he was awarded the Order of Merlin , First Class . There were also many more photos with Albus , Minerva , Hagrid and Filius . Among them was the photograph of a certain someone . He had put an illusion charm on the photo of Lily so no one could know he kept her photo with him. He had delusion her photograph to show angel's wings instead of her . He picked up the small wooden frame which once had a hint of gold that has faded over the years . Removing the charm from over it , now it showed reality. His black orbs were fixed on the pretty face of the woman who no longer seemed breath-taking to him . 

A strong wave of emotion flashed down his body . He threw the photo into the malicious, bloody blaze of the fireplace. Staring down at the wood which burned with dazzling flame, he watched the photograph of Lily curl up into ashes . 

Sighing heavily, he flinched his gaze away from the flames and looked intensely at the portrait of himself the innocent girl had given him. Shoving aside the other photos, he delicately placed the wooden frame on his mantle . A very content look came over his face as he made the grave decision . 

As he walked towards his work desk, his eyes fell on the envelope lying on the floor . Picking it up with his slender fingers ,he opened it . Seraphina had written him a small letter, too . 

Dear Professor Snape , 

A merry Christmas to you ! Please accept this small gift from your student . I know it isn't much for a man like you, and neither am I a good artist, but that was all I could conjure up for a great and magnificent man like you . 

Happy Holidays Professor !!!!!! 

P.S. - it's not a bribe. 

Seraphina Barclay 

A warm smile crept upon his face; a genuine smile , not a forced , painstaking one . The girl was just too modest sometimes . Even though she had obvious skills , she was still humble , sweet and modest . She was so likable , but Severus was scared to like her . How could a girl so nice , sweet , admirable , brave and selfless be the one Lord Voldemort had chosen for him? One thing was clear - that Lord Voldemort cursed him so he would feel pain . Love was his greatest weakness and strength . What had happened ten years prior was because the Dark Lord had killed the woman he had loved, but now the scenario was different . Seraphina did seem like a girl who couldn’t harm anyone intentionally. Albus confirmed that she wasn't an imposter, neither was she related to any Death Eater family . She was just a sixteen-year-old , born as a half-blood to a witch and a Muggle man , just like him . She liked studying , singing and endangering her own life for the sake of others . She was normal but nothing like normal at the same time . 

But one question was still unanswered - Why had The Dark Lord choose Seraphina to hurt him ? 

ልረልክ 

The Christmas holidays ended, and all the students came back to school on the Hogwarts Express . Seraphina got off the train with George and the Lovers , who had reconciled and were no longer angry with each other. Professor Hagrid escorted the crowd of students towards the carriages that awaited them . Climbing the stairs of the Grand Entrance , they saw their Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher waiting for them . 

" Merry Christmas to you all, youngsters . I hope you all had a wonderful holiday, " said Lockhart with a wide grin plastered on his face . 

Seraphina stepped back at the sight of her professor . Lucifer gave Lockhart a furious look as they followed him towards the Great Hall . Elenore was still not convinced of the accusations Lucifer has put upon Lockhart . Inside the Great Hall all the teachers waited for them , seated at the Head table . Lockhart and Professor Hagrid joined them, and soon the feast started . Seraphina enjoyed herself, but whenever she looked up at the Head table she found Lockhart staring down at her . His gaze sent a wave of unease down her spine . Ignoring her Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor for the majority of the evening , she slipped to her dorm quietly without grabbing much attention . 

ልረልክ 

Her chamber was just like she had left it . Blue and elegant . Although it was chilling weather outside , Seraphina still opened her window for some fresh air . With the spine-chilling breeze came a jet black owl with a parcel tied to its claws. A surprised Seraphina untied the parcel and gave the owl a nut from the jar of nuts she had kept for Hans and patted him softly . The brown parcel lay in front of her on her study desk . After staring at it for a long moment , she decided to open it. Tearing apart the brown paper from over the parcel , she found a box beneath it with a letter taped over it . She recognized the flowing writing of her Potions Master . It read - 

Dear Miss Barclay , 

I am very thankful to you for the amazing portrait you gifted me . And I have to say that your art skills are commendable . 

Please accept this present from your Professor as a thank you gift . 

I hope you like it . 

Severus T. Snape 

Scarlet dusted her cheeks and a shy smile crept on her lips as she read the letter her professor had sent her. 

He either liked the portrait or he was just being polite , she thought. Opening the box, she found a leather jacketed book on which it's title was printed with gold entitled 

" Feelings of an Artist " 

A gift for an artist . Batman was hard to understand , though . He had killed Voldemort but he never carried a bit of attitude. He was logical , hard , and sarcastic, but somewhere deep inside he was cute - very cute. Shoving aside the thought provoking thought, Seraphina jumped on her bed with the book Batman had given her and stuck her nose in it . 

ልረልክ 

Ever since the return to Hogwarts after Christmas, everyone seemed zealous and refreshed except for one person . That person looked irritated and anguished for reasons unknown to everyone. It was Seraphina. 

Lucifer and Elenore noticed her mood . 

One day while studying in the Common room and making notes for charms , Lucifer made his move and asked, " Hey Seph , you look angry about something . Is everything all right ?" He asked in no more than a whisper. Lucifer made Elenore sit across the table in front of Seraphina . 

" Nah, nothing, " said Seraphina, shoving him off and hunching more over her notes. 

" No, girl, there is something that is worrying you . You never walk around with that look on your face, " said Elenore . She looked concerned . 

Carefully placing her quill in the ink bottle , taking off her glasses, and placing them delicately on the table , she buried her face in her hands and let out a heavy sigh of exhaustion . 

" Seraphina, " whispered the lovebirds together . 

Raising her head, she put her glasses back on and faced her friends . A discernable look of pure anger filled her face . 

" Daniel won't listen to me," declared Seraphina . The words escaped her lips in such a hurry , it seemed as if they were longing to escape her heart. 

Lucifer and Elenore gave her a confused look . 

" I asked him to propose this time; he won't listen to me . I told him that Rachel and he are perfect for each other, but he says they need more time . For Merlin's sake, man ! They have known each other for like five years now," said Seraphina in frustration . 

" But maybe they really need more time, or maybe Daniel is not ready yet, " suggested Elenore . 

" He had bought a ring to propose to her like two years back . Ever since then, he has been to propose her. Rachel's parents visited us during the holidays, and they also want them to get married and start married life, " snorted Seraphina . She was genuinely angry with her 42 year-old brother . 

" Seriously? He bought a ring two years ago and still hasn’t proposed? " exclaimed Elenore . 

" That is why I am upset with him . I have seen how they both look into each other's eyes. I see pure love in them . Daniel has never been in a serious relationship since his last break-up with Scarlett . Now seeing him with Rachel , I just want to see him happy . Before coming back, I asked him the whole holidays to propose, and he kept dodging me, " sighed Seraphina heavily. 

" But I think you just need to give him some time, " said Lucifer . 

" I have been doing that for the last two years, Lucifer " said Seraphina , burying her face in her hands again. 

ልረልክ 

The next morning at breakfast, Seraphina sat with her friends. Hans came flying into the Great Hall with a letter in his dark brown beak . Hans was a beautiful owl covered with cream colored feathers with crimson dusted in his face and wings . 

Taking the letter in her hand, Seraphina exclaimed," Oh, Merlin, it's from Daniel. " 

" Go on read it and tell us why he wrote it, " said Lucifer , curiosity growing inside him . 

The letter read - 

Dear Seraphina , 

I know you are upset with me, and you have all rights to be . Please forgive me for upsetting you my little angel. I proposed Rachel, and she agreed . 

Yours lovingly  
Daniel 

Seraphina's eyes bulged out of their sockets as she re-read the letter. 

" Daniel proposed," said Seraphina. Her words came out in no more than a whisper . 

" What? " shrieked the Lovers together as they snatched the letter from her hands . 

As the words written on the letter sunk in , the color revived on her face. She looked more lively than ever. 

" Oh my God, he proposed at last !" screeched Seraphina. Her excitement grabbed attention of the whole Ravenclaw table, but it didn't bothered her at that moment . She felt utterly blissful . 

"We’re going to have a party on me when we go to Hogsmeade next, " declared Seraphina with contentedness in her tone. 

ልረልክ 

Ever since she received the letter from her brother, Seraphina was back to her normal self . A blissfully curious and helpful girl . The lovebird and George were happy to have their weirdo Seraphina back . 

ልረልክ 

A trip to Hogsmeade was organized one week after the return of the students . Seraphina wanted to stay away from Lockhart as much as possible. She felt that whatever Lucifer had said on the train was correct to some extent , so she was going to Hogsmeade with the lovebirds to give them a party as she had promised . But little did she know this trip to Hogsmeade would turn out to be the most horrendous trip of her life. 

Out of all the teachers that could have gone , Lockhart was one of them, who tagged along with them in their carriage . The whole 20 minutes journey became horrendously long for Seraphina as she tried to stay away and ignore Lockhart who sat next to her . 

Arriving at Hogsmeade , the three of them squeezed their way through the crowd of students to the Three Broomsticks . As they grabbed the table in the rear of the dimly lit cafe , Seraphina went to place an order for them . A commotion came from the counter where Seraphina had gone . 

" What happened there ?" Asked Lucifer as he picked up his glass of butter beer which Seraphina had brought to the table . 

" Nothing, they just recognized me from the Daily Prophet and were willing to give us free lunch, but I insisted on paying , " said Seraphina casually. 

" They really did that? " asked Elenore, who was taken aback in surprise by the statement . 

" Yes, " came the reply . 

The three of them sipped their butter beer while chatting and breaking into fits of laughter at times. 

" Seraphina , Seraphina , Seraphina, here you are ! I was looking for you everywhere," an irritating voice came form behind Seraphina's back. 

With an 'oh, shit ' expression on her face , she turned to face her professor . 

" You only ever seem to find Seraphina, " snapped Lucifer . Elenore kicked him under the table , warning him to be courteous. 

Without an invitation, Lockhart slipped onto the empty chair next to Seraphina . 

" I hope you youngsters don't mind me joining you, " he added . 

They didn't answered him . 

" So, what are you doing here ?" Asked Lockhart . 

" I am giving them a party, " said Seraphina with uncertainty in her voice. 

" Wow, but may I know why ?" Asked Lockhart with curiosity . 

" I just wanted to give them a party, " lied Seraphina . 

The gate of The Three Broomstick opened, bringing in the snowy wind with a visitor clad in black . It was Batman . He didn't walk to the counter , instead he walked towards the rear end of the pub where Seraphina and her group were seated . As he approach the four of them, his deep , enticing voice filled the silence that had come over the table . 

" Professor Lockhart , you should have told me you were here, " snapped Batman . 

A displeased look came over the handsome face of Lockhart as he saw the man who killed the one - who - shall - not - be - named . With furrowed eyebrows, he indicated that he didn't understand what Severus wanted to say . 

" We are here on duty to look after the students , not to enjoy ourselves, " snapped Severus yet again . 

" Good evening, Professor Snape, " Seraphina broke in . 

" Good evening, Miss Barclay, " said Severus, looking at the girl sitting next to the witless blonde . 

" Come on, Professor Snape, it is a trip for us too " said Lockhart . 

" Professor Snape, why don't you join us here . I was just giving a small party to my friends . I hope you wouldn’t mind joining us? " pleaded Seraphina . Her eyes carried a look of grave desperation. 

" Oh, I think Professor Snape hasn’t got time for that, " interrupted Lockhart. 

" Maybe Miss Barclay is right, " said Severus . 

Seraphina didn't expect an affirmative answer, but she surely was happy with her Potions Master’s response . While in the vicinity of Batman, Lockhart couldn’t even think of saying or doing something that would bother her . 

Severus dragged a chair from the empty table near theirs and seated himself comfortably. 

" Well, what would you two like, Professors ? " asked Seraphina, getting up from her seat. 

" Whatever you like, Seraphina, " said Lockhart . 

" Let me get the drinks, Miss Barclay, " suggested Batman as he rose from his chair. 

" Sir, please sit. I will get you a butter beer, " protested Seraphina, but Batman was too hard to dissuade. They both walked to the counter, and yet again, the man at the counter cried out loudly. 

" Oh, my God ! Honey I can't believe I am seeing them both together ! " The man at the counter called for his wife who was back in the kitchen . 

As a plump woman shoved aside the curtain and stepped into the counter , her jaw seemingly fell on the ground . 

" Merlin !" She gasped under her breath. " Severus Snape and The Dragon girl both are in the Three Broomstick at the same time . " She continued . 

Seraphina's delicate face turned scarlet at the reaction of the couple upon seeing her. She wasn't accustomed to this type of attention . On the other hand, Severus had years of experience of these type of situations , so he looked unaffected . 

" Well, can we have a photograph of you two together ?" asked the man shyly at the counter ." It will be an honor to have a photograph of you two . Please don't say no, " he continued. 

Seraphina's raven eyes widened at the urgings of the couple. The couple looked genuine with their request, so Seraphina nodded slightly and the man hurried to grab the enchanted camera . Seraphina and Severus stood there still a bit baffled by the request the couple had asked of them, but their musings were cut short by the arrival of the man . He asked them to stand near the window which still had some Christmas decorations hanging over it . They both stood next to each other with an appropriate distance between them. 

" Can you please move towards each other a little bit? " requested the man . They both did so , but the man kept on urging each other until the point came when they both were standing with no space between them. Scarlet dusted Seraphina's cheeks as she stood there next to her professor . 

‘Click.’ A loud sound filled the cafe as the huge flash light ignited, blinding her momentarily . 

The sound made by the camera was enough to grab the attention of Gilderoy Lockhart, who came there, running like a bee flying towards the nectar of a flower. 

" Oh, I see a photo session is going on, " commented Lockhart . The lovebirds were on his heels . 

Seeing the brave , fearsome, and handsome Gilderoy Lockhart in their cafe with the girl who conquered the dragon and the man who killed the Dark Lord , the couple almost fainted . The requests increased, and now the couple wanted to have a photo of the three . Very hesitantly Seraphina agreed. Seraphina and Severus stood the way they were standing before, but Lockhart squeezed himself into the frame and wrapped his arms around Seraphina . Seraphina gave Lockhart a baffled look as her raven eyes widened . As soon as they clicked the photograph, Severus walked off and so was Seraphina about to, but Lockhart held her back . 

Lucifer saw the whole drama and gave Lockhart a very nasty look . That was all he could have done . Surely, Lucifer wanted to hex the his professor . For once the Greasy Git seemed good to him . 

" I think a photograph of Seraphina and me would be fine, " suggested Lockhart . The couple nodded sheepishly in excitement . 

Lockhart slipped his hand around her waist and pulled her against his muscular chest. He took her hand and wrapped it around her neck . Seraphina turned the darkest shade of scarlet possible. After the uncomfortable photo session, Seraphina pulled away and ran towards the counter where Batman was already standing . He looked anguished. Maybe he didn't like the request of the couple . 

Back at the table Seraphina , her friends, and the two professors silently sipped their drinks and ate the turkey sandwiches the couple had given them as a complimentary gift . Seraphina looked visibly disturbed, and the Lovers sensed it, so they tried hard to change the topic. 

Technically, Lockhart was the only one blabbering at the table . Batman sat there in a deadly silence with the same anguish in his eyes. Lucifer and Seraphina looked visibly frustrated and irritated . Elenore was the only one who seemed to be listening to whatever Lockhart Chronicles he was narrating . 

After the five of them were done with the snacks . Seraphina went to pay the bill, which was heavily criticized by Severus, who insisted on paying . But Seraphina wasn't a girl who persuaded easily , so she rejected his proposal . The Ravenclaws almost ran outside the cafe to get away from Lockhart. Lucifer nagged about the blond professor the whole time until the girls dragged him to Honeydukes and stuffed his mouth with chocolate frogs. 

" I was telling you that Lockhart means no good, " he said, gulping down thea big bite of chocolate . “I mean, who holds a student like that? " he continued with a disgusted look on his face . 

After Honeydukes, they went to Gladrags Wizardwear to buy some clothes for Elenore, who had burned half of her trunk while practicing charms . Then they went to Scrivenshaft's Quill Shop, where they bought their stationary . Grabbing some famous tea from Madam Puddifoot's, they went on with their shopping . While enjoying herself , Lockhart escaped her mind . And it felt good not to have him hovering in her mind . Ditching Lockhart at every turn and alleys of Hogsmeade , the three of them carefully made their way to the shops . 

" Ok , sorry for whatever drama happened in the Three Broomsticks, so now let me grab some lunch for us, " said Seraphina turning towards her friends . 

" No, you can’t pay ,we will contribute . You need not feel bad because of that idiot, Seph . He interrupted our party and the mistake is his, " declared Lucifer . 

After having a hearty lunch at The Hog's Head, the three of them got up to leave . Just outside the door of the pub, Seraphina bumped into the very last person she wanted to meet . Gilderoy Lockhart . 

" Oh, Seraphina , here you are . Well I hope Miss Wilson and Mr. Jones won't mind excusing you for a while . There is something important that I want to tell you, " said Lockhart . The darkness in his eyes seemed to have taken over the natural crystal blue color of them . 

" Ok, " replied Seraphina after a painstakingly long pause . Hearings the affirmative answer, Lockhart dragged Seraphina away from her friends at once. 

Lockhart tugged her to the outskirts of the very small village . Seraphina's heart throbbed thunderously; she didn't know what it was that Lockhart wanted to tell her. Somewhere deep inside, she was scared, too , so she kept her wand at the ready to defend herself . 

Eventually, Lockhart stopped a bit far from the horde of the village, near the spring of the woods . He turned and faced the girl . 

" Seraphina, there is something I want you to know, " said Lockhart . His voice was smooth and seductive . 

Seraphina calmed down and gave slight nod , indicating her undivided attention . 

" You know, in the past few months that have passed , I have felt like a different person, even to myself . I wasn't just thinking about my adventures , but I was also thinking a lot about someone else . Someone very special and lovely indeed," he murmured. 

He looked at her with compassion as he took a step towards her. 

Seraphina still couldn't comprehend his words, so she kept listening patiently. 

But now a big smile had crept on Lockhart's handsome face as he continued. " I have liked the company of the person, and I just can't tell you how much she has bewitched my mind . Her eyes are just mesmerizing, and words fall short if you ask me to describe her." 

He kept on increasing the proximity to her. 

Slowly, Seraphina felt like her brain was growing numb. She couldn't comprehend his act . But growing impatient with his words, Seraphina sputtered . 

" Wh... what is it th... that you want to tell me s... sir ?" 

" Oh, please don't call me that, Seraphina, " said Lockhart . 

" Th... then what sh… should I call you ?" asked a baffled Seraphina. 

" Gilderoy , just Gilderoy, " said Lockhart . 

Gaining back her senses quickly and composing herself, she snapped, "But you are my professor ! " 

" Oh, come on, Seraphina . I know I am, but don't you feel something unexplainable when you see me ? “asked Lockhart 

" Sir, please, can you just say what you want to because sadly, I am not good at philosophical talks," said Seraphina. 

"Ok, if you say so, Seraphina . I am deeply in love with you . I know it's not correct as I am your teacher, and I thought of confessing my feelings after your N.E.W.T.S., but your enthralling beauty just made me gravely desperate. " 

Seraphina choked on air . What the hell was he saying ?! She was his student ! How could he fall this low ! It was happening all over again . No, no, this couldn't happen . 

" Sir… "said Seraphina in a small voice . 

" Just call me Gilderoy , Seraphina ." 

Her brain felt numb as she saw Lockhart close the distance between them . In a blink of an eye, his muscular chest was pressed against her small bosom . He was leaning in, his face inches from hers . She could feel his hot breath on her forehead . His lips were now barely an inch from hers . 

Her body was not coordinating with her mind . She wanted to run away from Lockhart, but her legs weren't moving. Her hands fell numb, too as she couldn't push him aside . 

Lockhart's lips were about to caress hers when suddenly a wave of rage flashed through her body , making her regain all her senses back . Pushing Lockhart aside, Seraphina ran towards the small village covered with snow in front of her. 

Lockhart didn't understand her denial; instead he interpreted it as shyness. 

" It's ok. I will wait until you are fine with me kissing you, " shouted Lockhart from behind her . Seraphina didn't turn to shoot a glance at him; instead she ran . Mindlessly running away from Lockhart, she ran by the lovebirds who were patiently waiting for her outside The Hog's Head. They looked at each other and ran after her as she didn't acknowledged their calls from behind . 

Seraphina's mind and heart were so preoccupied with the thoughts of Lockhart liking her and all this ending up just like before just made her run like a mad woman . As she reached the fence abutting the village and The Shrieking Shack , Seraphina stopped, panting heavily . The color has drenched out of her face as she started pacing back and forth nervously . Lucifer and Elenore joined her , both panting heavily, just like her. 

Lucifer launched his chain of questions at once. " Girl, what happened ? Why are you running around like crazy ? Did Lockhart do something ?" 

Seraphina didn't answer her friend . She kept mumbling something illegible under her breath . The look on her colorless face mutated into a dead one . A corpse could have looked more lively then Seraphina in that moment of time . 

Abruptly, she stopped pacing and marched towards the spring in the woods nearby . Then she did the unexpected . She punched the rough , uneven trunk of the gigantic tree robustly . Elenore gasped at her act as Lucifer went for her, but she quickly shoved him off with her wand. 

Seraphina squeezed her fist hard because the bruise was harrowingly badly . For a split second only, she forgot Lockhart for the sake of goodness . A bruise had begun as a purple stain over her left knuckle; purple welts were scattered across her hand . But this spreading purple with yellow blotches was only the surface wound. The real one was within. That feeling of being forced upon again . The images of that night struck hard in her mind’s eye . 

' The menacingly dark evening was spine chilling . The concrete building stood there with big metal letters casted on its front wall. 

' St. Michael's College ' 

Huge classrooms were lined up in the eerie corridor . In one of the classrooms stood the fourteen-year-old Seraphina with her contrabass. She looked so much younger and happier . The room was filed with the melodious tune she was playing on the instrument with accuracy and delicacy . A middle aged lady sat in front of her , observing her hand movements . After she completed the song , the lady and Seraphina had a little conversation and then they both went on their way . 

While Seraphina walked towards the entrance of the building, a voice called for her from behind . The young witch turned to face a 45 year-old man . He had a square face with a clenched jaw line. His grey eyes twinkled with something unexplainable in the dim light of the corridor. He was her English teacher. After a small conversation with her teacher, she followed him towards a classroom. 

As she stepped into the classroom, the man locked the door . An austere look came over his face . Seraphina gulped hard . 

In a trice, he had flung himself over her and forced himself on her . He effortlessly ripped off the grey cardigan Seraphina was wearing . He forced himself on her again, his lips crashing over hers in a furious manner. He slipped his hands down her hips and tried to touch them inappropriately . The girl felt helpless . She kept on shouting, but her pleas seemed to fade away in the eeriness of the empty school . At first sight, it seemed like the man was in total command of the situation, but then the unexpected occurred . Seraphina wrenched her body away from him violently, forcing him to fall hard on the floor . The young witch quickly seized the moment and continuously kicked him hard between his legs . He groaned in pain, but Seraphina wasn't done yet . She grabbed a chair and hit him hard with it. She let out a frustrated scream, but before she could kick his ass any further, the janitor and the same middle-aged lady burst into the room and caught hold of the angry girl . '

Another wave of herculean rage flushed down her body . She turned towards the tree to punch it again, but this time she felt an iron grip holding her arms back form doing so . 

" LEAVE ME LUCIFER ! I DON'T WANT YOU TO GET HURT BECAUSE OF ME, " hissed Seraphina without glancing over at the owner of the iron grip . She unsuccessfully shrugged hard to shove his grip off . By now, the hands were dragging her back . Resisting violently, Seraphina jerked harder this time . 

" LEAVE ME, I SAID ! " shrieked Seraphina aggressively, but it was more of a bellowing scream rather than a scream of anger or frustration . She still didn't look at the possessor of the hand holding her . Her eyes were fixed on the trunk of the tree . 

" Relax Barclay , you have already hurt yourself enough, " snapped the possessor of the iron grip as he propped her on her feet . The deep , velvety voice sent a wave of comfort down her body . She shot a glance at the man holding her . It wasn't Lucifer, but Professor Severus Snape. He was holding her arms and dragging her away form the tree . He had appeared out of the blue, but the lovebirds were relieved to see him pulling the mad Seraphina away from the tree and stopping the young witch from hurting herself further. 

" Sorry, Professor, but I think you should leave me alone, " she said curtly with a last attempt to free herself. , Her last words were futile as Batman wouldn’t let go of her. 

" So you can hurt yourself more? " snapped Batman as he deterred her from going near the tree . He looked down into her agonized eyes as she abysmally tried to mask her pain . 

" Ok fine , I won't do anything. Please just let go of me, " Seraphina begged. Very hesitantly, Batman let go of her eventually . 

" Now please just spit it out, girl . What did Lockhart say to you ? " asked Lucifer with a concerned tone . He didn't hesitate in speaking Lockhart's name in front of Batman . 

Seraphina looked defeated. She sunk to the ground that was covered with snow and buried her face in her hands . Very silently she sobbed because she couldn't hold it back anymore. She was too silent to be heard, but Severus sensed her unease and kneeled on the ground next to her . 

" Miss Barclay, " he whispered softly . 

" Lucifer, you were right about Lockhart " sniffed Seraphina , her face still buried in her palms . 

" What? ! " shrieked Lucifer. " I told you he didn't see you as a student ! Please say he didn't try to do anything !" vented Lucifer , his fingers clenched into a tight fist ready to punch the handsome face of that witless blond . 

" No, it couldn’t have happened, " Elenore gasped under her breath in utter dismay. It was still hard for her to digest the fact . 

" Why me …?" cried Seraphina . 

Severus stood there rooted next to Seraphina on the ground covered with snow. Hearing what the three Ravenclaws were discussing, ire filled him. He didn't know what the three students were taking about, exactly, but he could imagine . Did Lockhart do something to Seraphina ? Why the three Ravenclaws looked so disturbed and anguished ?Why was she so anguished ? 

" What did he do?" asked Severus in his deep , voice . 

No one spoke a word . Lucifer and Elenore seemed to have gained their senses back because they now acknowledged the fact that a teacher was among them . 

" Sir the thing is… " started Lucifer, but he was cut off by Seraphina who was still sobbing silently on the ground . 

" No, Lucifer, " she sniffed . 

" No, Seph , he should know this . At least someone would be there to defend you and know how much that idiot torments you !" snapped Lucifer. 

The way the boy spoke about Lockhart was offensive, and Severus would surely have scolded him if it had been some other teacher , but his suspicions about what had happened kept him silent on the matter. He actually was enjoying listening to the names the boy was calling Lockhart . 

Turning towards the boy, he indicated him to carry on with his explanation. Lucifer obeyed sheepishly . 

" Sir, that Lockhart… he... he… " Lucifer couldn't bring himself to speak the name of the forbidden feelings his teacher had for his beloved friend . 

" What the hell is it, Jones? Damn it, " hissed Severus . 

" He loves me, " spat Seraphina, whose face was no longer buried in her palms . She looked gravely shaken and utterly dreadful . The life seemed to be draining out of her raven eyes every second that passed . 

What ?! Severus's fist clenched hard. He wanted to hex that moron badly with an Unforgivable Curse. How could Lockhart do something so forbidden and disgraceful ? 

None of them dared to utter a single word. Not even Severus thought of speaking . Lockhart was full of himself, and it wasn’t hidden from anyone, but nobody ever thought even in their wildest dream that he would lust upon a 16 year-old girl . 

What would he tell the adolescent girl, anyway, that he was worse than Lockhart? At least that blond hadn’t imprinted her . Severus thought . 

The sound of laughter filled the intense aura that had built around them . It wasn't a joyous laughter, however, but instead it was a painstaking , sarcastic and gutteral laughter . Seraphina was laughing, and she looked more dreadful than ever . The three of them turned towards her and fixed her with a baffled gaze . 

" Wow , am I that good that every frikin’ teacher wants to fornicate with me? " Seraphina remarked with heavy sarcasm in a dead tone . She was staring at the Shrieking Shack which stood beyond the barbed fencing , lost in deep thought. The words surely left her lips, but she hadn’t realized it . 

" He tried to kiss me, " declared Seraphina . She was still deep within her own thoughts . The words left her lips in the same way as earlier. 

Elenore's jaw gaped open, and Lucifer cursed under his breath . Severus looked at the wrecked girl . He wanted to console her, but he was afraid his embrace would only worsen her condition, so he held himself back. 

" No, this won't happen again. I will tell him that I don't like him . I will not let him force himself on me . NO , NO, I WONT LET ANYONE HURT ME THIS TIME ! " 

As the last words left her lips, she was screaming again. " Why don't people stay away from me? I don't want their attention. Leave me alone . Please ! " cried Seraphina, who looked more dreadful as the seconds passed by . 

Severus couldn't take seeing the lovable girl in that condition anymore. He wrapped his long and muscular arms around her small cocooned body . 

Seraphina, who had lost track of everything, felt protective arms around her, comforting her . A wave of warmth and protection flushed over her cold body . She buried her pitiful , distraught face in the muscular chest of the black figure and sobbed . Just like Seraphina, all had lost the track of time and stood there . The lovebirds looked sympathetically at their friend who had melted in the arms of her professor . But the color of her face had returned, and she looked more lively than a corpse. 

After god knows how long, Seraphina gained back her senses . Soon she realized she had buried her face in the muscular chest of her fearsome Professor Snape. Quickly pulling away from his protective embrace, she stood and started straightening her clothes . But the hollow feeling of emptiness filled her heart again . 

" I am sorry, Professor . I shouldn't have done that, " said Seraphina, breathing heavily . Her face had turned scarlet from the long cry . Her puffy, raven eyes narrated the whole story . 

" Miss Barclay, please don't run away now . I heard it all . You need my help ." said Severus, getting back on his feet . 

" I don't need anyone's help, " hissed Seraphina , she hadn't calmed down completely . 

" You don't have to be so tough on yourself all the time . Why do you always think that you can handle everything on you own ? " snorted Severus in frustration . 

Seraphina shot a glance at his slender face . His black orbs were fixed on her face and held bit of sympathy in them . She felt disgusted. She hated sympathy; she hated being pitied . So she tried to walk off, but Batman caught hold of her arms. She jerked, but his iron grip won once again . The Ravenclaw felt helpless , disgusting, and defeated . 

Exhaling deeply, Seraphina looked up at her professor. Although she had gained her senses back , her mind was still baffled. 

" Can you do me a favor, Professor Snape? " she asked . 

" I want to help, " he almost cried but masked it flawlessly . 

"Can you please ask for red wine in my behalf? They won't give it to me," exhaled Seraphina. 

" What? " asked a baffled Severus. 

" I am underage and I am in bad need of red wine . Can you ask for it in my behalf? " vented Seraphina impatiently . 

Hesitantly, Severus agreed, and the four of them went back to the Hog's Head where Severus placed an order of a bottle of red wine . After the skinny waiter left, he uncorked the bottle. Seraphina didn't even bother to pour it into the glass, she just started gulping it down straight from the bottle itself. Severus and the Lovers stared at her with a look of utter disbelief . She was gulping down the contents of the bottle like a drunkard . Severus had to intrude at one point. He snatched the bottle from her light grip so she would take a break to breath . 

" Hey, " snapped Seraphina, who wasn't please with her professor's act . 

" Drink like a sensible person, Barclay . I don't want to take a drunkard back to the castle with me ." Severus warned her. 

Ignoring his warning, Seraphina snatched back the bottle from him gently. After taking another long drink, she pointed the green bottle towards the other three occupants of the table . 

" Want some ?" she asked . 

Seraphina liked the warmth of the drink in her gut as it flowed down . The blood in her veins seemed to warm up as she drank the wine . 

The three of them denied the offer, letting the girl enjoy her drink . 

" I never thought you could drink so much, Seph " commented Elenore. 

" Daniel has warned me that I am a potential drunkard, but I just needed it badly right, now " replied Seraphina as she wiped her lips with the sleeve of her overcoat . " Thank you very much, Professor Snape, and I am really sorry for my behavior back there . Please forgive me ." She continued , an ashamed look overhaulingcoming over her delicate face which looked more lively than ever. 

" Let me go and pay for it, " she said as she stood up . 

" There is no need to, Miss Barclay, but before leaving, I would like to get the answers to some of my questions," declared Severus who indicated for her to sit back down. 

With the ashamed look still overshadowing her face, she sat down . She took her wand out and placed a silencing charm around them so that no one could hear what she was about to tell them. 

" So, what did Lockhart actually say to you? " asked Severus . 

He expected a protest from the young witch, so he was prepared with an explanation . 

" You have spilled half of the truth, so please answer my questions, because this involves a Hogwarts teacher, so it is not only your concern anymore ." 

Seraphina's knew the man seated in front of her was right, and maybe telling the truth would help her get rid of Lockhart . She narrated the whole incident to them .Not realized she’d already blurted out earlier that Lockhart had tried to kiss her, she told them without hesitation of the attempted kiss, too because she knew there would be no good in hiding it . 

Elenore almost shrieked when she heard it, while Lucifer almost jumped off his seat to find Lockhart and hex him with an Unforgivable Curse. 

In the eyes of Batman she saw undeniable anguish and hatred . 

" And after that ? " asked Severus . 

" After that, I ran away from him. I didn't want things to repeat themselves, " said Seraphina . In the flow of the story, she realized too late that she had said too much. 

" Repeat themselves ?" asked Severus with an arched eyebrow . 

" I don't know, sir, that I should tell you this or not because… " She fell silent . 

" Listen, Miss Barclay, I know some things are personal, but I see no good in keeping things secret from me now that I know almost all of it," said Severus with a demanding tone . 

A long , painstaking silence came over the table . Seraphina's head bowed low with humiliation as she remembered the nightmarish evening . 

" Two years back, when I was studying in my Muggle school, I stayed after school due to contrabass practice," explained Seraphina with a determined look in her eyes as she looked out at the misty street from the window. 

" The school was almost empty except for my music teacher , the janitor and… and Noah Smith - my English teacher. "  
The last name had slipped out of her lips with onerous hatred . Her voice seemed to have lost the sweetness and warmth it usually inhibited . 

" He asked my help with carrying some books to his car, to which I agreed . When we reached his office, he closed the door behind him and locked it . " 

Again she fell silent. The other three listened to her with undivided attention, although Lucifer and Elenore already knew about this tale. She had told them the story once before . 

Before continuing, she let out a heavy sigh . " He threw himself on me and forced himself on me. He forced his lips upon mine and tried to touch me inappropriately . He ripped off my clothes and tried suppressing my resistance . I pushed him in the floor and kicked his privates until he was crying for mercy, and then I threw a chair at him. 

I was about to pull out my wand from beneath my sleeve, but then the janitor and my music teacher caught hold of me . The police were called. They examined the camera footage of him forcing himself on me, and he was arrested and convicted through a Muggle court . You know what he thought of...." 

Before she could finish, her voice seemed to fade into oblivion. Biting her lips to hold back the tears, she spoke again in a small voice "He thought he would bribe the janitor to delete the footage of him raping me from the system and have a copy for himself to blackmail me further . " She concluded as a tear slipped down her cheek . 

" Why does everyone lust after me ? Lockhart tried to kiss me, and I didn't do anything to oppose him . I was so weak… stupid . Oh, God, I am the world's biggest imbecile !" cried Seraphina in frustration. 

" You are not an idiot, and don't ever call yourself weak again .” Severus admonished her. “I haven't ever met a girl as strong as you. One who doesn't fear a dragon or who isn't afraid to speak for herself . Seraphina you stood up for yourself, and you didn't let that son of a flea bitten dog do anything to you. You are God's most amazing creation . " The reverent words of Severus Snape filled the onerous aura of the table . 

He slowly got up from his chair and kneeled on the floor in front of the young Ravenclaw , facing her . His black orbs fixed on her with a look of comfort . His words felt soothing to her. 

" As for Lockhart, you and I will make Headmaster Dumbledore talk to him, and I promise you he will not dare to touch you ever again . " reassured Severus as his sad smile crept on his thin lips. 

Turning away from her professor , Seraphina contemplated the layer of thin mist that stood outside the window of the pub . Sighing heavily, she spoke with an empty voice. . 

" Whatever he did was to me, not you, Professor Snape . I will talk to him myself, and I can say he won't dare to touch me ever again . I know what you all would be thinking about me… that I am being such cry baby, and maybe I am being that, but please don't tell anyone about this. I need a promise from you all ." said Seraphina as she wiped her tears . 

" Seph, you have already seen enough pain to last a lifetime . Professor Snape is right. You are just being too hard on yourself . Whatever happened wasn't your mistake; it was the lust of that son of a bitch. As for Lockhart, he won't dare to even lay his eyes on you, I promise you that . Just don't blame yourself," said Lucifer . Elenore nodded in agreement . 

Seraphina gazed apologetically at her friends for a long time with her puffy raven eyes , before speaking . 

" God, I am lucky to have you two . " 

A sad smile crept on her distraught face . She turned towards her professor and apologized for her behavior . 

" I don't blame you for that reaction because nobody could have gone without breaking down, especially after all that you have gone through before . You are the bravest girl I have ever met . " said Severus with a reassuring smile on his face. " And I promise you that nobody would have known that’s how you subjugated that Muggle," he continued . 

Then he took her bruised hands in his. slender, long fingers. 

At first Seraphina flinched away abruptly, but Severus patiently said in a gentle voice, " I don't want to hurt you . Just let me look at your knuckles. They are very badly bruised ." 

Very reluctantly, Seraphina gave him her hand. Although she looked calm, her body was still shivering badly . Severus examined her hand for a long time, then drew out his black wand and muttered something under his breath . 

"Vulnera Sanentur" 

As the spell poured out of his lips, the deep gashes on her knuckles started fading and the last of the skin was back to normal. 

After thanking her Professor and having a mild quarrel with him over the payment of the wine, the four of them left the pub . The return journey was much better because Batman sat in the same carriage as the Ravenclaws . But the comforting words of Batman weren’t enough for her . Lockhart has surely instigated her PTSD and she knew one thing: that the journey further wasn't going to be an easy one for her .


	13. Chapter 13 - The Death Eater's Past

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Who is planning to harm Professor Severus Snape ?

A week had passed by since the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher of Hogwarts, Gilderoy Lockhart, confessed his feelings to the smart , unconventionally charismatic Ravenclaw student Seraphina Barclay . Not a single word escaped the lips of the ones who knew about it , but the transmuted behavior was visible . 

The Potions Master, Severus Snape was cautious towards the young witch who was internally tormented . He made sure to get a look at her whenever he got time . Lucifer's anger was justified , he was furious with his teacher, and he had all rights to be. Elenore on the other hand felt disgusted towards her once favorite professor . It was hard for Elenore to digest the fact, but Lockhart's proposal lifted the curtain of uncertainty and confusion from in front of her eyes . Seraphina's reaction to the incident was the most sympathy-worthy . Although she had insomnia and she couldn't sleep at night, but in the seven nights that had passed, she spent the whole night worrying about Lockhart's next move. She looked more dreadful than ever, and it stirred up a lot of attention, but she shoved the concern off by making an excuse of bad health . 

Lockhart became more desperate than ever. His desperation was visible in his crystal blue eyes. And what bothered him more was the absence of Seraphina from his classes . Seraphina received permission from Professor Snape to skip her Defense Against the Dark Arts class. She spent most of those class hours in the library, where she studied . It wasn't that she was lacking behind or she was scoring bad grades - actually she was rather good and austere with her studies . But it was hard for her to bear the face of Lockhart ever since the last Hogsmeade trip . Severus himself offered her help with the subject, but she courteously refused . 

One more precaution Severus and Lucifer came up with was that she should not do her patrolling duty for a while so that Lockhart couldn’t get a chance to meet her alone. Seraphina agreed hesitantly. She hated to refuse her duties, but what Batman and Lucifer were proposing was correct. 

Severus's birthday passed away without any celebration from Albus and Minerva , who always threw a party on 9th of January for the young master. But the match-making pair also understood his anguish and exasperation towards the issue unknown to them . Severus promised Seraphina he wouldn’t tell anyone anything about what happened at her Muggle school and so he kept the promise . 

The adolescent Ravenclaw's brain was so engulfed with her own thoughts that Batman's birthday escaped her mind . But Severus didn't mind that . 

ልረልክ 

Just like on many of her sleepless nights, Seraphina decided to slip out of the castle to the Forbidden Forest . Studying wasn't occupying her mind anymore . 

As she reached the spring of the Forbidden Forest , a colossally staunch figure awaited her in the shadows of the spring . 

" Angel , what is it that bothers you ?" came a husky voice from the shadows as it stepped out of the dark . 

" Oh Aslan , you scared me ! " gasped Seraphina under her breath. The half-horse, half-man stepped in front of the girl and fixed her with a sympathetic gaze . Seraphina sensed his sympathy and felt disgusted yet again. 

" Angel , the stars told me, " whispered Aslan . 

" What - what did the stars tell you , Aslan ? " asked Seraphina , the curiosity growing inside her . Aslan was a Centaur, and they were best at star reading. Many times Aslan had told her what the stars were telling him. He even taught her how to read them, but she was a witch so it wasn’t as easy for her. 

They stood that way for a long time before the Centaur very hesitantly spoke. " You might gain knowledge of something you don't want to. " He stiffened with his words, as if he had instantly regretted saying them. 

" Ah , Aslan, you know it doesn't matter to me what it is until it is categorized under knowledge, " said Seraphina with a pretended casualness . 

Aslan was still unconvinced . 

Seraphina sat on the enormous trunk of a fallen tree while Aslan sat in in front of her . They both were gazing at the starlit sky , Aslan was telling her about the constellation of star in the far north that tells the Centaurs about their upcoming fate . 

They sat that way for a long time before the sound of rustling leaves came from behind Seraphina's back. At first they thought it was Aslan's pack or maybe a unicorn, but soon the sound was accompanied with many spine-chilling voices . Aslan was quick to take command of the situation . He very silently, yet very swiftly, jumped up from his place. He flung his arms around her delicate figure and placed her on his horse-back . He placed his hairy finger on her quivering lips , indicating her to make no noise, and Seraphina obeyed . The half-horse , half-man followed the voices. Soon they found themselves near the spring of the Forbidden Forest when the possessors of the spine-chilling voices ceased . Aslan stopped behind a huge tree which hid them from the sight of the people they were following . As Seraphina peeped from behind the broad back of the Centaur, she could made out 5-6 black figures . 

" I still have doubts about all this," said one of the black figures in a high pitched voice with a worried tone . Although the duo had been following for almost fifteen minutes, they couldn't make out what the figures were talking about , until that very moment . 

" I agree. How can we trust a person who came to us only four days ago ?" came another voice which was coarse and rough to Seraphina's ears . 

" We have to trust him, Damon and Amycus. We have no other choice, do we ? " asked a third voice . This voice was feminine . A calm , prepossessing, yet evil voice . 

" I am sorry to say, but I have started doubting your loyalties , gentlemen ." She continued with mocked seriousness . 

" Don't you dare question my loyalty, Ravana. I am not like that bollock Severus who betrayed our Lord for that bitch !" Snorted the pitchy voice . 

Anger flushed down Seraphina's body as the black figure cursed her professor. She knew - the whole world knew--that Severus Snape was a Death Eater before he turned against his master and killed him . But what the world hadn’t known was the reason for him doing so . Seraphina had always wanted to ask him the reason, but she couldn't conjure up the strength to ask him so . 

" Leave it, you three ! We have to accomplish this mission for our Lord . And I trust him, and so will you, Damon " intruded another figure who had a gruff voice, like the creaking of the gallows-chain. 

The group fell silent as the forth voice made itself heard . 

" Now listen to me, or I will kill you off at once . Did I make myself clear? " continued the fourth voice . The others agreed sheepishly . 

" Damon , Ravana and Amycus, you will sneak inside that castle. Take that bollock Severus hostage; bring him outside . We will be waiting for you here, and then we will take him to Malfoy Manor and finish him off . Is that clear to you all ? " declared the fourth voice and sheepish agreement from the three followed . 

" Now remember one thing , take away that son of a flea bitten dog's wand the first chance you get, or I can't promise you your life, " the voice continued calmly . The possessor of the pitchy voice gulped hard before nodding further . There was a movement in the group. Seraphina saw that abruptly the three grown figures shrunk in height. Subsequently, they changed their robes into something similar to what Seraphina wore everyday except for her robes had blue trimmings and the one the black figures were wearing had yellow and green ones . 

" Now, get me that bollock, Severus Snape ! " hissed the fourth voice. 

Further movement took place as the three now-shrunken figured walked off towards the castle . 

Seraphina and Aslan watched the whole scene from behind the gigantic tree. Adrenaline flooded her system. It pumped and beat like it was trying to escape. She thought her heart would explode, and her raven eyes were wide with fear. Her body wanted to either run fast for the safety of the castle or to the protection of her professors , but instead she remain where she was. 

The young witch wanted to take one great leap off the pressure plate and run to safety. Her adrenaline surged so quickly that she almost vomited. She could taste saliva thickening in her throat, and beads of sweat trickled down her brow. Aslan very implicitly walked off. When they were at an appropriate distance from those black figures, the Centaur paced towards the east, which was near the secret entrance of the castle . Seraphina's arms were tightly wrapped around the hairy torso of Aslan. Her mind went numb after what her ears had heard . A few people were about to kidnap Batman and then kill him ! In the blink of an eye, the duo was near the rear of the castle . In front of them was just a nondescript wall . 

" Angel, go inside and inform your Dumbledore about this . " suggested the Centaur . 

Seraphina dismounted from the Centaur’s back . 

" I...have to go...after...him " sputtered Seraphina , her lips quivering badly from fear . 

" No, you aren't going after them. It's dangerous. You could get killed, Angel, " protested Aslan as he stepped towards the delicate figure of Seraphina . 

" I just can't let them take him. You heard them right; they wanted to kill Professor Snape . I just can't let that happen! " cried Seraphina , her body still quivering badly from fear of losing her Batman . 

" What can you do ? There are three of them, and you are just a young witch, Angel, " demanded the Centaur . 

" There are 11 of them . The rest are a place called Malfoy Manor . I don't know what I will do, but maybe I can assure that they don't kill Professor Snape before the Headmaster arrives, " said Seraphina who was breathing heavily , trying to calm herself and keep herself on her feet . 

" There is no way you are going there ! " cried the half-horse, half-man . " You used dièrchetai " He asked further . 

Diérchetai was a gift Seraphina had possessed ever since her birth . The main thing about diérchetai was that Seraphina was the only one who could perform it in the whole Wizarding and Muggle world . She was gifted with a curse that helped her enter anyone's mind without their permission. She could look through anyone's life . While Legilimency helped magically navigate through the many layers of a person's mind and correctly interpret one's findings, Diérchetai on the other hand helped Seraphina enter the unconscious part of the brain which had many memories a person had but could not remember clearly . Seraphina could see the life journey of a person from their birth to their present . But the curse didn’t end there , she also could feel every emotion they ever felt , be it happiness , anger, rejection , love or any emotion a human could come across . No person on this Earth , not even a person as good at Occulmerency as Severus Snape, could resist her, but Seraphina hated entering others minds without any permission, so she had learned to control and master it by the age of ten . So ever since then she asked permission to Diérchetai anyone, but her overwhelming emotions sometimes made her loosen the reign . She had promised her dying mother that she would never Diérchetai anyone without their permission , but she had broken her promise . She had Diérchetai’d the person who came to kidnap Professor Snape without his permission . 

" Yes, I did that. I just couldn't keep my mind from doing so, " came her defeated reply . 

" I need to go before there is nothing I can do. Professor Snape won’t harm them as they are disguised as students, and once they disarm him , he will not be able to defend himself . I have to help him - I just can't let him die !" gasped the Ravenclaw under her breath . 

" I can't let that happen, " protested Aslan as he went for her, but she swiftly backed away . 

Before turning to leave, Seraphina unwrapped the Ravenclaw scarf from around her neck and pressed it in Aslan's comparatively larger hands . 

" Keep this with you...maybe as a gift. As a friend, I never gave you anything. Please forgive me for that," said Seraphina in an apologetic manner which was also was visible in her eyes under the starlit sky. 

She turned to walk away from him. After taking a step or two, she stopped again, but this time she didn't turned to face him as if she were trying to hide something which was visible on her face. 

" And...just do me favor...if I don't return...keep it with you as a memory of mine. " The words escaped her lips in no more than whispers . The next moment she vanished as she crossed a wall as if it was nothing but a thick wall of mist . As the words sunk in, Aslan realized that Seraphina has sensed her upcoming fate . 

Seraphina was sprinting towards the Prefect's dorm . While she made her way towards the dorm, she noticed a few black figures moving on the grounds from the large window frame of the corridor . Those people had kidnapped Batman . She had to write a letter to Headmaster Dumbledore and inform him about their whereabouts . She banged open the door of her chamber and hastily foraged for the pheasant quill , which wrote everything it's master told it all by itself . She had to write two letters at the same time, and she didn't have time to be wasted. The quill slipped out her sweaty fingers making blotches on the parchment . 

Headmaster Dumbledore , 

This is a very urgent issue, sir . Professor Snape has been kidnapped, and the Death Eaters are taking him to a place called Malfoy Manor . I will be waiting for you there . Please save Professor Snape . 

Seraphina 

She hastily signed the letter and tied it to her owl, Hans's wooden brown claws .   
Hans flew out of the open window in a swift manner without making any noise . While the pheasant quill very obediently jotted down what Seraphina dictated to it . She placed the second parchment in the envelope and took off the rusty ring from her rather thin finger and placed it in the envelope with the letter. The next moment, Seraphina found herself sprinting towards the Ravenclaw dorm where she slipped the envelope under the gate with the engraved eagle . 

She ran across the long, eerie corridor towards the Entrance Hall . The young Ravenclaw was panting heavily as she approached the enormous black iron gate of Hogwarts castle . 

" Alohomora, " whispered Seraphina . The gigantic gate opened silently . As soon as Seraphina stepped out of the castle's gate, she felt a tight sensation of twitching in her stomach. Black mist appeared around her out of the blue . Suddenly, the castle behind her back disappeared and she found herself surrounded by black mist. It felt like she was being forced through a very tight rubber tube. She was apparating to the Malfoy Manor. 

ልረልክ 

Severus had a very hard day . He hated seeing Seraphina in such a dreadful state.. She had been skipping her meals regularly and had been studying for uncountable hours without any break . The young Potions Master went to check on her many times a day, but all he could do was ensure that Lockhart wasn't hovering over her head or that he didn't try to kiss her again . But that was all he could do . The girl had isolated herself from the rest of the castle, and he didn't want to force her to come out of her mood because she had every right to be angry . 

Severus had never felt comfortable or relaxed in the last thirty years of his life, but for the five minutes when Seraphina had collapsed in his arms, he had felt comforted . A wave of mixed emotions had flushed down his body. His tensed muscles had relaxed . Seraphina's breath on his chest had made his heart throb thunderously. In one moment, he had felt his heart would just pop out of his chest . He had wanted to pull her closer to him, but he had constricted himself from doing so . At least he could proudly say that it had been the best five minutes of his life, but also the worst five minutes, too . Seeing the admirable witch crying and hurting herself had made him feel miserable. He had wanted to confront her on a personal level, but Seraphina had clearly drawn a line which Severus respected and hadn’t wanted to cross without her assent. 

He walked down the eerie corridors of the dungeon . The stale air of the dark dungeon was putrid. It was around 10:30, and everyone had retired to their respective chambers. Severus had also completed his patrolling duty and was doing the same . Abruptly, he heard a few spine-chilling voices . Those voices reminded him of his few days of being a Death Eater . Those followers of the Dark Lord were immoral and had the most sinful voices one could ever listen to . Severus had never been able to transmute himself like those sinister evildoers. He had tried hard, but had always came to nothing . He turned towards the direction from where the voices were coming . Slipping down the raven wand from his sleeve, he kept it high for defense . As he wordlessly walked towards the shadows of the dungeon, his eyes fell upon two students - a Hufflepuff and a Slytherin . 

" I assume you two must have a very concrete reason for roaming around the castle after the hours?" Severus broke in . The students didn't turn to face him at once, and when they did face him, there was not dread on their faces. Instead, a look of iniquity with ungodly smiles played on the faces of two . 

" Ah... Severus after so a long time , right ?" said the Hufflepuff girl in a seductive tone . 

Dumbstruck… Severus was dumbstruck after the girl’s words fell on his ears . No student had ever tried to mess with him, but a Hufflepuff had called him by his first name as if they had known each other for a long time . 

He pointed his wand at the girl as he pierced her with a furious glance . 

" I don't remember giving you the permission of using my first name, " hissed Severus , his teeth clenching with anger . 

" So, what should I call a traitor? Oh, sorry, I forgot you are a teacher now . Please accept my apologies, Professor Snape " mocked Ravana who was visibly a Hufflepuff student . 

Severus sensed the state of affairs . They were not the students of Hogwarts , they were someone from the past he wanted to leave behind . But before Severus could have taken command of any action, a third figure emerged from the shadows of the dungeon and disarmed him with the Expellriamus spell . The Slytherin boy, who stood there with the Hufflepuff girl sprinted to get hold of Severus's wand. Every action took place so quickly that it was hard for Severus to comprehend things , the very next moment the three disguised students had had their wands pointed towards him. 

" Utter a single word, and we will finish you off this very instance," hissed the boy who had appeared out of the blue. His coarse voice ruffled Severus's ears . He clearly remembered the face of the possessor of that ruffling voice . Amycus Carrow . The most loyal Death Eater of Lord Voldemort. Rumors had spread in the Wizarding world that he had died while battling a Ministry official, but now that Severus saw the more lively than ever Amycus Carrow in front of him , one thing was clear , there could be many Death Eaters like him who had faked their deaths and were still at large. 

The three of them pushed him towards the end of the dungeons where there was a secret passageway for exiting . Severus reluctantly obeyed them; there was no use in protesting . Once they were away from the vicinity of the castle , an inpatient man awaited them near the spring of the Forbidden Forest . Severus knew that man well . He was Diabolos Schaefer ; the most famous and the deadliest of all Death Eaters . He was the right-hand man of Voldemort . He was the one who carried the genocide of Muggle-born during the Battle of Southampton . 

Severus's hands were cuffed with invisible ropes . Standing in front of Diabolos Schaefer, he breathed calmly, showing no hint of agitation . Schaefer wasn't flabbergasted by the reaction. He very well knew that Severus Snape wasn't a person who agitated nimbly . 

" In the last 10 years , you never regretted killing our master , did you ?" Schaefer gritted his teeth as the words poured out of his thin lips . 

" I never regretted avenging Lily " came a calm reply . 

" How could you fall that low Severus ? That woman didn't even bother about your well-being . She used you Severus , and you killed the master who made you worthy ? How could you do that ? " fumed Schaefer in disgust . 

" It was her choice to choose the right life partner for her. I respect her decision . And the difference is that I realized my mistake at the right moment, Schaefer," said Severus. 

A disgusted question didn't followed Severus's reply, but a jaw shattering punch landed on his right . It sent a throbbing pain in his skull, but he didn't screamed in agony . The punch slit his lips, and a warm stream of blood flowed from it . 

The three Death Eaters disguised as Hogwarts students pushed him further towards the gate of the castle. Once they were outside the castle, all the six Death Eaters held their hands while Schaefer grabbed the collar of Severus's clock. A thick curtain of black mist came over them out of blue . Severus felt a tickling sensation in his gut, but his body felt like it was being stretched . 

The black mist curtaining them faded away, and Severus saw the infamous Malfoy Manor in front of him. The large mansion once belonged to a famous pureblood family - the Malfoy's . There was a time when it had looked lavish and sumptuous, but now there stood just a wrecked building . The Malfoy's had been an affluent and powerful family who’d had connections with the inner circle of Lord Voldemort . Severus remembered it had been Lucius Malfoy who had introduced him to the Death Eaters and the Dark Lord. But the family committed suicide after the death of their master . For them doing was better than spending thief while life in Azkaban. 

His chain of thoughts were broken by the pitchy voice of Damon . 

" Move, you bullock ! " 

Severus awkwardly obeyed him . Three more Death Eaters awaited them near the gigantic wooden door . The three of them passes Severus a very nasty look as Amycus pushed him forward . Severus was taken to a attic looking room . It was a dimly lit room with a few candles lit in an askew manner. Schaefer forced Severus on his knees, and the next thing Severus knew was that his eyes were swollen over and bloody spit drooled from his slack jaws . He was forced to sit although his body wasn’t supported anymore . After what felt like an eternity to Severus, he sensed a distraction in his beaters . Ravana's demonic laugh could be heard in the background as Amycus and Damon dragged a limp body along the ground . It was hard to distinguish the person at first, but as the moonlight fell on the delicate , innocent face of the girl, Severus gasped reflectively. 

" Seraphina… " 

Schaefer fixed him with a awkwardly dismissive look . 

" Get off the girl, you imbecile !" Schaefer yelled at Abigor , another surviving Death Eater , who was leaning over the unconscious body of Seraphina . Abigor ground his teeth in anger, but obeyed Schaefer . 

" Nobody will touch this girl ! Did I make myself clear? ! " declared Schaefer . A lot of protests followed further, but Schaefer shut them all with his one statement . 

" She is the girl he was talking about . That means we can’t kill her ! " 

The six Death Eaters frowned, yet they agreed . But the restriction from killing her didn’t meant they couldn't torture her. Damon , who was the most anguished, landed a few punches in her delicate face before Amycus intruded . The young witch was bleeding mercilessly, but it didn't soften the hearts of those killers . Subsequently, Seraphina's eyes opened. She squinted around the dimly lit room . Severus felt her eyes on him as she gasped his name under her breath . 

What was the stupid girl doing here ? Oh, Merlin, these demons were hurting her so badly ! thought Severus . 

His heart throbbed more than his injuries . He felt miserable, but couldn't help the girl . When Damon punched her the first time, he almost jumped up in his place, but Ravana cursed him with a Crucio . He was forced to spectate the torment the young Ravenclaw was going through. 

ልረልክ 

Thud! , a sound emanated as Seraphina dropped to the cemented pathway . She stumbled along the cold walkway, and with each step, her stomach tightened and ached all the more. She kept swallowing, and her throat kept clenching, but no matter what she did, she could not stop the warm feeling rising through her chest. Then she could taste it at the back of her mouth. Seraphina buckled over. A warm, clouded, cream coloured liquid spilled from her mouth, and sizzled as it splashed over the cold stone floor. 

She shivered violently as the menacing wind touched her curled up figure . Now that her stomach had stopped lurching, she merely felt bruised inside. But then she imagined the slender face of Batman. She had to go look for him , ensure that he was fine and unharmed . After a long ten minutes, she looked around her. She was standing in front of a large , long-abandoned - looking mansion with broken windows and a shattered roof . It must have belonged to a wealthy family of Purebloods. She could sense the enchantments surrounding the menacing mansion . There was a long cemented walkway that was trapped between two black walls , which might have been green at one time. The walk wound its way up to a barren fountain behind which was a low-lying staircase which led to the gargantuan door . As Seraphina quietly walked towards the doors , she was cautious enough to look out for a window. But the house looked barren , as if no living being inhibited it . As she entered the partially opened door , she came across a large hall with ragged furniture which had only God-knows-how many layers of dust covering it . The broken furniture , large spider webs and the unnatural voices that broke the eerie silence at strange intervals sent a wave of trepidation through her body , which was shivering badly . She tip-toed across the prodigious hall very tacitly , looking for the signs of any living being among the dead aura overhauling the whole mansion . 

On the spur of the moment she heard the creaking sound of footsteps walking in her direction . She jumped towards the shadows and hid herself beneath the dust covered curtain . 

" Why aren’t we killing that son of flea bitten dog ? " She heard the same pitchy voice from the forbidden forest . Impatience was growing in that voice as well as his footsteps as he tapped his foot repeatedly making a creaking sound . His restless tapping was interrupted by a same coarse voice she heard in the forest . 

" We have promised him we will not kill that son of a bitch until he is here to watch it. " 

" Well his idea worked perfectly, " comment the pitchy voice . 

The man with the coarse voice was about to say something when a calm voice called for Amycus at the very same moment . 

" You know after we are done with Snape , the next thing I am going to do is kill that Ravana . " Amycus cursed under his breath as he walked off , leaving behind the restless man. Seraphina heard his footsteps going away from her when she peeked to get a look at him . Swiftly she slid out of the curtain. She tightened the grip of her wand as she pointed it towards the man , his back faced to her . 

" Imperio. " She let the spell out under her breath . A string of purple light escaped the tip of her wand and struck the man's small head . Seraphina breathed heavily, tiresomely trying to keep herself on her feet . 

Slowly the man turned to face her . A mixed expression of pique and anger played over his sullen face . His grey eyes burned with fury as he was obliged to obey the intruder that clearly meant he could not speak until she wanted him to . 

The young witch's Aspen wood wand still pointed at the man with the medium frame. She indicated towards his wand , pointing at him to give it up . His pale jaws clenched at the demand , but he couldn't deny it either because of the curse . Very reluctantly he gave up his wand to Seraphina, who almost have to pull it out of his grip. Subsequently indicating for him to go towards the passageway at the rear of the hall . 

She didn't had a clue where she was going, but she heard no noise coming from that direction so she thought that would be the best place interrogate the Death Eater . As soon as she entered the passageway, she started with a hissing voice that sounded more dreadful than death itself . 

" Keep your voice low if you don't want to get killed by a 16 year-old school student. " Her gaze pierced down holes in his body .   
" Now, please tell me your name , so that I can properly acknowledge you , Mister. " she continued . Her voice was low enough for the Imperio’d man to make out what she was hissing . The young Ravenclaw was cautious enough not to grab any attention. 

" Damon Carrow ," hissed the Death Eater reluctantly . He fought hard not to answer the question, but lost miserably. 

" So, Mr. Carrow , why have you and your friends kidnapped Professor Snape ?" vented Seraphina . Anger was simmering inside her but she fought hard to control herself . 

" Professor - oh please for Merlin's sake he is a traitor , you idiot " 

Seraphina , who had her wand pointed at his chest , stepped closer to him and buried the end of her wand in his neck . He flinched away, but Seraphina pierced her wand deeper . 

" He left your army because he chose what was right for him . Don't curse him ever again, " admonished the witch . 

" You are what ? One of his fan girls ? " Damon mimicked Seraphina . 

" Don't force me to hex you ! Now tell me, how did you snuck into the castle, and who was the one helping you? " fumed Seraphina . 

" You cannot hex me . You don't have the courage to ." mocked Damon.

" Don't try to mock me ! " vented Seraphina. 

The creaking sound of footsteps filled the barren hall. Seraphina froze in her position and indicated Damon to do the same. 

" Damon where are you ? " The coarse voice of Amycus fell in their ears . Before Seraphina could have taken command of any action, the broad figure of Amycus broke in the passageway , without a second thought he pointed his greying wand towards the itinerant girl and cursed Seraphina with crucio . The green stream of light struck her around the chest. Seraphina felt so much pain that her complexion went ashen. Her body was lifted by the wave of the curse . For a moment she fell, and then the curse propelled her back brutally . She landed hard on the ground, flat on her back. Her head jerked as she felt a sharp sensation on the crown of her head. She squeezed her eyes shut as if trying to sucks herself into a deeper place to cope . The throbbing pain staunched her equilibrium. The wand fell from the witch's hand as she collapsed on the floor in-between the two Death Eaters. A devilish smile crawled in Damon's thin lips as she saw the adolescent girl collapse on the floor. He gave Amycus an evil chuckle. 

ልረልክ 

A pain shot up her arm like fire. She cringed. It exploded in her head with a blinding whiteness. It made her dizzy. It made her reel. The pain was like needles that had been dipped in alcohol and had been jammed through her skin, as if her arm had been replaced with ice and electricity wired straight into her spine. Her delicate hands could feel the stone-cold wall caressing the bruised skin of her knuckles. The pain in her body lessened, but her mind still felt numb . She battled against the numbness to open her eyelids which felt as heavy as mountains. After a long struggle, she succeeded in opening her eyes . 

Dimly lit room lay ahead of her . The moonlight entered the room from the broken windows . At first it was hard for her to figure out who was in the room, but gradually her vision cleared . She could make out the figure of a woman and six men . One of them was kneeling on the ground , his eyes fixed at her helpless figure . Seraphina felt his sympathetic gaze and it disgusted her to oblivion. But soon she recognized the kneeling figure of the man as her Professor . 

" Professor Snape, " gasped Seraphina under her breath . The sullen figure of Damon . Seraphina felt the throbbing pain in her jaw, and the warmth of blood flowing down her lips . 

" Are you all right, Professor ? Did they hurt you ? " Seraphina launched her questions at Severus at once. . 

" So, you are Seraphina Barclay, " broke in the voice of Schaefer . 

Seraphina nodded while breathing heavily. 

" Why did you followed us girl ?" Schaefer asked Seraphina in a calm tone . 

Still breathing heavily, Seraphina opened her mouth to speak but no voice seemed to come . Seraphina gulped hard and conjured up the courage to speak . 

" I...I saw you ... kidnapping Professor Snape ...you want to kill him ...please don't do that ...please don't kill him, " begged Seraphina . 

Schaefer walked towards the girl tied to the chair. He kneeled on the wooden floor covered with layers of dust , placing his hand on her cheek which had paled from fear. He started stroking her cheekbone with his thumb . Seraphina had goosebumps as a weird sensation of fear ran down her spine . He passed her a genuine smile . 

" You believe that your Professor Snape is a good man ?" asked the Death Eater in the same calm tone . From his mouth, it felt like a mocking insult . 

Seraphina gulped hard; her throat was as dry as a desert . But she gathered the strength to answer the question being asked to her . 

" Yes. " 

He chuckled before speaking . Unlike the other Death Eaters, his chuckle wasn't demonic or ungodly. His chuckle felt derogatory, as if he was laughing at an imbecile . 

" Seraphina , do you believe in betraying your master ?" asked Schaefer . 

" I don't believe in slavery, " snapped Seraphina . For the first time, she didn't sputter when she spoke. 

" Ok , so tell me girl, will you ever go against the very person who helped when you were nothing ? Who made you worthy enough ? " questioned the man with the gruffy voice . 

" Going against what is wrong is what that matters . I can understand that maybe Professor Snape would have had no other option when he joined you, at that time but then he eventually corrected his mistake by choosing the side which was less wrong, " said Seraphina. 

The young witch's answer amused Diabolos Schaefer . Not many people dared to speak in front of the serious killers because of their impatience and intolerance towards the opposite ideas . But this girl was different , she spoke without any vex . 

" What do mean by saying the less wrong?" 

" No one group or side is completely right or wrong . Just the difference is the choice between wrong and less wrong . And your fate is decided by your choice, " said Seraphina . The unconventionally charismatic Ravenclaw was back to her normal self even after being in such a menacingly treacherous situation . 

Schaefer slipped out another superior chuckle before continuing . 

" Do you know why he betrayed the Dark Lord ? " 

Seraphina shook her head in a negative answer. 

" How pathetic that you adore a man so much that you will endanger you life for him but you don't even know the reason of his supposed greatness, " commented Schaefer with mocking disappointment . " Let me tell you this myself . We accepted your Professor Snape because he was a helpless , pathetic seventeen- year-old . We made him worthy to live , we gave him the knowledge you idolize , we were the family he never had ! " fumed Schaefer . His tone confiscated from the intellectually superior one to that of an irritated man who had suppressed his anger for a painstakingly long time . 

Seraphina listened to the man analytically , as every word he spoke sunk in, she realized that proximity between her and the truth was increasing . 

" He was madly in love with a girl. What was the name of that little piece of scum ?" The man genuinely tried to remember the name of his destruction . 

" Lily, " the words slipped Seraphina's lips in no more than a whisper. The thought of the lady Batman talked about to Ms. Jane struck her . Batman loved a woman with the true loyalty of his heart. And he set his password in her name only . Her deduction was cut short by the gruff voice of Schaefer. 

" Yes Lily ! But how did you know about her? " the man asked with a suspicious tone. 

" She is lucky to have someone like Professor Snape to love her, " valiantly commented Seraphina . The fear in her eyes seemed to have faded away . Although her Professor was a hostage, that didn't stop her feeling of protection from augmenting in her . 

Dumbfounded , Diabolos was dumbstruck by the grave and valiant reply of the girl . It was hard to shatter her faith in Severus, but he had to . Seeing people admiring that ragged piece of scum sent a stinging pain down his chest . 

" Unfortunately, she was," announced Schaefer . " Our Lord killed her after your Professor told him about a prophecy . Only then your brave Professor went against our great master and killed him in a conspiratorial manner, " he continued . 

" Voldemort died because all his Horcruxes were destroyed, " said Seraphina as if stating the obvious . 

" How...how do you know about the Horcruxes ?" asked a visibly skittish Schaefer . 

Nobody except the Dark Lord , Severus, and he knew about those Horcruxes . So, how did the girl get her filthy hands on the highly classified information? 

Seraphina used her ability of diérchetai yet again without the permission of Schaefer. She felt disgusted but she had to so she could engulf them in a conversation, giving time for Headmaster Dumbledore to come to the rescue . 

A sly smile played on Seraphina's bruised face as she passed Schaefer a superior look. 

" I asked how did you know about the Horcruxes? ! " snorted the man as he landed another jaw shattering punch on the adolescent girl's face. 

Seraphina was trying hard not to stare at her nose but she kept finding her eyes had diverted to it the bloody mess that had been a perfectly ordinary nose only hours before . But the brave girl kept quiet . 

" I asked you something , you filthy piece of shit !" Schaefer growled again. " Can you read minds ?" he continued . 

" I... I...it's something...worse than...mind ... reading..." Seraphina barely managed to speak before his fist banged into her lower abdomen . A splash of blood spilled out of her mouth onto the floor and her white cardigan . Severus squeezed his eyes shut and flinched away; the sight of the young girl made him feel disgusted . He couldn't do anything to stop her pain. 

All of a sudden, Schaefer stopped . His anger lay dormant as he gazed at Seraphina for a long while as if deducing the whole situation . The next moment, the Death Eater was next to the kneeling down professor , his wand buried in Severus's chest . Severus didn't flinch away . His eyes locked onto Seraphina's raven eyes . 

" Answer my question or your Professor Snape will be dead. " He chuckled as he said. 

" If you wanted to kill him, you would have done that an hour ago, but you are waiting for someone . So try something else, Mister, " commented Seraphina with a cunning look on her face . 

Schaefer struck his fist on the broken window pane . The girl wasn't reacting the way she was supposed to . He wasn't able to startle the girl, and it was disgraceful for a deadly Death Eater like him. 

" Ok , let me tell you this . I can do diérchetai " declared Seraphina . 

" What ?!?!?" shrieked everyone residing in the room contemporaneously . Severus also questioned; he had never known about that. Albus had never told him . 

" I can enter someone's brain and look through their life's journey, " explained the young Ravenclaw . 

" Why the hell on this Earth are you exaggerating your ability of Legilimency? " spat Ravana in a jealous tone . 

Seraphina ignored the woman . 

Everyone in the attic fixed Seraphina with an analytical look . Severus felt betrayed , although he had no right to, but he still he felt betrayed . Seraphina had never told him about that . 

" So, you looked into my brain? " clamored Schaefer . 

" Yes, and I know what a miserable life you lived in the past ten years, but it would never compensate with what you did to those girls and those families, " said Seraphina . " How could you feel any pleasure in those demonic acts? ! You bullock! " cried the young witch as a tear slipped down her bruised and blue cheek . 

A guilt ridden Schaefer briskly walked past Severus towards the door of the attic . His face bowed low and filled with something very unexplainable . Everyone in the room spectacled the confrontation, but no one dared to utter a single word . 

" How could you believe a man you never met ? He just wrote you three letters and you trusted him ? Come-on, he didn't even sign his real name ." stated a baffled Seraphina. 

" Shut up, you little bitch ! " Alecto cut her off . 

Ravana made her way towards Seraphina, ,honed knife dancing in her long and rather very thin fingers . 

Ravana Khan was a voluptuous woman with a medium frame who was in her mid-thirties . Her bronze skin complimented her vigous Indian looks . Technically Ravana was wearing a sumptuous black top and her long , thin and rather toned bronze torso was left bare as a feast for the eyes . A long robe hung on her skeletal shoulder, curtaining the shapely body Ravana displayed . 

" You love your Professor Snape so much that you are ready to even die for him? " asked Ravana with pouted lips as she hunched over the girl tied to the chair . 

" It doesn't matter whether I like him or not; what matters is that he deserves to live . " said Seraphina, her eyes piercing holes of cold contempt on Ravana's bronze body . 

Ravana turned towards Severus, and witin a split second she was next to him , her honed knife swiping along Severus's cheek. 

" NO ! NO ! Don't hurt him! " shrieked the girl . " You want to hurt ... You want to torture , just do it to me . Leave Profile Snape . Please! " begged the witch . 

“ No Barclay ! Just don’t . Not this time !” protested Severus . 

" Fair deal " wryly chortled Ravana ignoring the protesting Severus . 

The female Death Eater was on her knees to level herself with Seraphina tied in the chair . She tore the young witch's white cardigan and subsequently she tore Seraphina's white shirt half open . Ravana stroked the knife on her chest , scanning the skin . 

“ Leave her Ravana or you will question your mere existence in this world ! “ threatened Severus but it seemed to have no effect on the woman clad in black . 

The stone cold metal stroking Seraphina's chest sent chills down her spine . Suddenly, a stinging pain erupted in her left side of her chest, causing her to flinch violently . She gritted her teeth to suppress the pain but it helped little . The serrated blade was delivering particularly painful wounds. 

The witch bellowed in pain as blood burst from her slashed chest , the shock of the wound caused her heart to pump furiously. The Death Eater kept carving on the Ravenclaw's chest as if it was a sandstone wall . The track of time faded away from Seraphina's brain . She tried to calm her breath to steady her blood flow . She had already lost a lot of life sustaining liquid. 

After fifteen painstakingly long minutes, Ravana walked away from Seraphina's half unconscious figure with the knife smeared with the young witch's blood still dancing in her fingers . Blood flowed mercilessly from the carvings Ravana carved out on Seraphina's chest. Severus saw the girl's wound. Ravana had carved a name in her chest, but it was illegible due to the blood smeared all over it. The sight sent a stinging pain through his chest . The girl was suffering because of him, and there was nothing he could do to stop it . He felt helpless and disgusted . 

Seraphina and Severus both heard the faint sound of footsteps climbing the creaky staircase . The voice of a man became clearer as the sound of the footsteps became more definitive. The voice sounded similar to both Severus and Seraphina, but before they could make any conclusions, the door of the attic flung open and two men entered the dusty room . One of them was Diabolos Schaefer but as the moonlight fell on the face of the other man who entered the room Seraphina and Severus both gasped under their breath in conjunction . 

" Lockhart, " the name left their lips in no more than whispers. 

Gilderoy Lockhart's lilac sanguine radiated even in the dimly lit room . The handsome face of his fell as his crystal blue eyes moved to the pathetic figure of the girl tied to a chair. He sprinted towards her at once and kneeled down on the floor in front of Seraphina. 

" Oh Merlin! what did you do to her? ! " cried Lockhart as he pulled a handkerchief from his robes and started wiping the blood from the Ravenclaw's face . Seraphina flinched away, but Lockhart held her face with his iron grip. 

" What are you doing here Seraphina ?" Asked Lockhart . 

" I can ask you the same, " said Seraphina bitterly. 

Lockhart took a long pause before speaking . His eyes scanning Seraphina . 

" Ok, let me get straight to it . I made a plan with these Death Eaters to kidnap Snape, beat him up, and leave him at the gate of Hogwarts so everyone could know that he is not a hero . " spat Lockhart . 

" But why ? " demanded a baffled Seraphina. 

" Because of you , Seraphina, " he said with his eyes locked upon her . " I want you to like me the way you like him . What's bad in me ?" He continued. 

" I ADMIRE him for what he has done for the Wizarding world ! I ADMIRE his intellect , you idiot ! I am not a fool to like a Professor, " shrieked Seraphina in disgust. 

" So, why don't you like me ?" demanded Lockhart . 

" Because you are nothing like him ! He is smart , intellectual , handsome , logical, and for Merlin's sake he isn't so full of himself ! " vented Seraphina . Her heart throbbed thunderously with anger. 

Gilderoy stared at the girl for a long time . An anguished look came over his face as the words left Seraphina's lips . He loved the girl, but why couldn't she feel the same for him also? 

" You know, Seraphina, if I want something, I will not rest until I get it , and I like you , so either you just accept me, or I'll have to oblivate you, " said Lockhart with the dark look his eye . 

" For Merlin's sake, Lockhart, it's love you are talking about ! You just can't force anyone to love you," Seraphina cried. 

Seraphina was cut off by Lockhart's lips pressing on hers. He had slammed his lips to Seraphina's and nearly knocked all wind from her lungs. His hand rested below her ear, and his thumb caressed her cheek as their breaths mingled . He knew she didn't love him back, but he couldn't resist. He leaned in a little closer, their foreheads touching. Dear God, he couldn't fight against the thoughts that were going through him. It wasn't an innocent kiss, like a tease, but a hot, fiery, passionate and demanding one . She tried hard to flinch away, but the iron grip of Lockhart suppressed her revolt . But the girl didn’t kissed him back . 

" Ok , so our plan has changed . After you are done with Snape , I will obliviate her. We will leave him and Seraphina at the gates of Hogwarts . I will save her . I will be her hero, she will admire me . And you will also get your revenge . Is that fine with you? " declared Lockhart as he pulled away from Seraphina and stood facing the others residing the room. 

Seraphina felt anger boiling deep in her system, as hot as lava. It churned within, hungry for destruction, and she knew it was too much for her to handle. Lockhart did the same thing as Noah . 

" Sorry, but we have also changed our plan . Severus won't leave this place alive . " calmly added Schaefer . 

" What ?" Asked a baffled Lockhart. 

" We altered the deal now that you have the very girl you fancy , we will not leave this bollock alive, " said the Death Eater, pointing towards Severus . 

" You can't kill him ! He is a Order of the Merlin ! Ministry will hunt you - they will hunt me down for doing so ! No we can't kill him !" shrieked Lockhart in a jittery manner . 

" Sorry, we can't let him step out of this mansion alive . He killed our master, and we will avenge him ." Amycus broke in. 

The young witch was white as chalk. Her eyes and her mouth were frozen wide open in an expression of stunned surprise . When will Headmaster Dumbledore arrive? If the great wizard delayed any further, maybe Professor Snape's life would be at stake . She would have to conjure up an excuse to delay them . 

" Kill me ! Just kill me if you want ! Leave Professor Snape !" Seraphina broke in . 

" No, Seraphina ! " The deep, entrancing voice of Severus Snape filled the room for the first time in a long while . 

Diabolos ignored the girl . He wanted to avenge his master and killing that insignificant girl wouldn't help him in accomplishing his task . 

A deep , heated argument had erupted between Gilderoy Lockhart and Diabolos Schaefer . They both had altered the agreement . 

Abruptly, a faint sound of a thud and agonized screams made themselves heard in the attic room . Everyone faced the door. Out of the blue a very old looking wizard appeared in the hallway of the attic , his robes sweeping the dusty floor . An old witch followed him on his heels . Another man followed him on his right . The three of them had their wand pointed at the Death Eaters. The old wizard pointed his wand at the tied witch and murmured a spell under his breath . Seraphina's tied hands fell free dangling by her side. Headmaster Dumbledore did the same with Batman . 

Quickly, Severus flung his body on Damon's and pelted him with numerous jaw shattering punches on his sullen face . Stripping his and Seraphina's wand away from Damon's black robes , he threw the Aspen wood wand at the girl who caught it with ease. 

Seraphina quickly pointed her wand at Ravana and murmured a non verbal spell under her breath . A string of violet light cast out from the end of her wand, and the very next moment the bronze figure of the female Death Eater was lying on the floor , flinching violently due to the stinging pain that had erupted all over her body . 

Seraphina quickly turned towards Damon, who was rooted at his place, dumbstruck by what had just happened. Slow in comprehending the situation, he was hexed by another non verbal spell by the young witch . A long downpour of blue light took place from Seraphina's wand, and as it touched Damon's chest, a devastating explosion erupted violently throwing the sullen man on the already broken mantlepiece of the fireplace . The mantlepiece shattered to pieces under the weight of the Death Eater . The broken pieces of wood pierced excruciating holes in his pale torso , killing him . 

She smoldered with resentment as molten anger rolled through her . Rage was gripping her, and anger poured through her. The adolescent girl's temper sparked with fury springing to life 

The rage nearly consumed her as it pulsed through her veins, but she tried furiously to control it . 

Severus, on the other hand, annihilated two of his kidnappers without any hesitation. The young wizard was unparallel when it came to the Dark Arts, and the long years of war had drained out the innocence from him . 

After taking down two Death Eaters, the young Ravenclaw scanned the dimly lit room for the others . Gilderoy Lockhart stood in the corner of the room, his body quivering from fright . He had always seen the sweet , warm, and smiling Seraphina, who could never even in anyone's wildest though, hurt anyone , but at that moment, he saw a girl unknown to him . Anger radiated from her eyes, and she had her wand pointed not to defend, but to attack . The Ravenclaw was ready to attack for her Professor , to defend him . She sprinted towards the man clad in lilac and buried her wand in his clenched neck . 

" How dare you touch me !" hissed Seraphina in a deadly tone with an expression of pure , raw and unadulterated defiance. 

Lockhart stared at Seraphina, dumbstruck . She was completely soaked in her own blood, and there were cavernous wounds all over her body. Her hands were shivering with the tremendous pain she was in . And yet her eyes did not exhibit even the slightest hint of fear. 

By the time mentioned two new faces joined the population of the attic . The young faces had tear stained cheeks, and the pair was breathing heavily . Lucifer and Elenore gasped under their breath as they saw Seraphina burying her wand into their Professor's neck . 

" Seph no ! " shrieked a horrified Elenore, who had gotten both her arms slit by a Death Eater she had been battling with. 

" No, I won't kill you . You will be executed by the Ministry, and everyone will know your truth, Gilderoy, " wryly said Seraphina as she stepped back, her wand still pointed at the man . 

" I appreciate your actions, Miss Barclay . Now I think the conditions are under control, so I propose we should be heading back, " the voice of Jacob Griffiths , the Minister of Magic, called out . 

Seraphina gave him a quick glance and turned towards Professor Snape, who stood near the window pane with the corpse of his kidnappers lying near his feet. He hadn't spoken a word ever since he saw the girl, but he needed numerous answers from her . 

" Oh, Professor Snape ! Are you alright ? Did they hurt much ?" She launched her chain of questions as she walked towards him. 

" You answer me first, girl !” Lucifer broke in. “How dare you write that letter to us ! Why didn't you take us with you?! And for Merlin's sake ,why did you came after these Death Eaters? You could have lost your life ! " 

Seraphina turned to face him and passed the boy a warm smile . 

"But I didn't, " a calm reply followed. 

" I hope we all don't mind returning back to the castle and continuing our discussion there, " interrupted Albus . 

" I agree. The Headmaster and Professor Snape need some urgent medical attention , I presume, " Seraphina added. 

" Before you leave, I need an answer Barclay . How did you come here ? Who told you about this?" the deep entrancing voice of Severus filled the dusty room and everyone fell silent as his voice made itself heard. 

" I will answer every one of your questions, and I promise you that, Professor, but please, for now let's get out of this horrid place and get your injuries fixed by Madan Pomphrey. " The young witch cut him off before he would have carried the subject into oblivion. 

" You need her more than I do, " quietly commented Severus as they made their way through the creaky staircase down the hall . Outside the mansion stood two lusty black creatures. They were horse-like creatures which must have easily been over sixteen hands tall. They were the kind of black which could make the night look less dark . Darker than dark . Their manes were long and a little wavy, their forelocks tumbling to the left, almost obscuring the large brown eyes beneath. Then out of nowhere, they spread two feathery wings with a span that must have been twenty feet. Seraphina's mouth gaped in awe of their beauty as she stepped closer them . 

" I knew you both wouldn't have been uninjured after spending considerable hours with the Death Eaters . So, here I present to you your ride for tonight, " declaring the Minister. " There is a lot I want to know, and there is a lot you need to explain , but I know you both aren’t in the condition to answer anything, so I shall visit Hogwarts tomorrow for the questioning, " he continued as he passed Seraphina a sly smirk and gave a slight nod to Headmaster Dumbledore. 

" So mount on the Ghabishes" suggested the Headmaster . 

Elenore was injured so that meant she couldn't Apparate so Lucifer helped her on the Ghabishe and sat behind her, giving her support . Seraphina was still gazing at the Ghabishes in awe, and the words of the Minister and Headmaster Dumbledore were left unheard . 

" Let me help you mount it, " the deep, velvety voice of Batman tugged her out of her grave sea of thoughts as he placed his slender hand on the small of her back to escort her towards the fantastic creature. The stoic girl penuriously masked her twitching pain as her Professor helped her to mount the Ghabishe . Momentarily, as Severus seated himself on the creature's back, he felt Seraphina's body stiffening and her muscle clenching in front of him. 

The Ghabishe reared. The gust of displaced air flattened the surroundings . Then he charged forward at a full gallop. In minutes, he was airborne, his legs tucked up underneath him like the undercarriage of a plane. They both could feel the chilling breeze against their bodies. Once in the sky, the young witch's body melted into Severus's as the muscles of her body relaxed, and her stiffened body softened. The landscape beneath was picturesque, but both of them were gravely tired to admire the beauty of nature. After a quick ride the Ghabishe landed in front of the staircase of the Grand Entrance . Severus helped Seraphina dismount the lusty, black creature and dragged her straight to the infirmary where Albus , Minerva, and a visibly disturbed Madan Pomphrey awaited them . 

" Madam Pomphrey I want you to check Professor Snape this very instant, " called out Seraphina at the same time when Severus called to the middleaged nurse - 

" Poppy, I want you to see Miss Barclay this very instant. " 

Everyone present in the infirmary fell into silence as the pair spoke together . A knowing smile played on Albus' thin lips at the sight of Severus holding Seraphina's wrist . Minerva passed a sly smirk at the pair as a playful visage her sharp face. 

" Oh, Merlin, what did you two get yourselves into this time? " broke in a visibly distressed Poppy . 

" Nothing. Just kidnapping and Death Eaters. Nothing very serious this time, " joked Seraphina . 

ልረልክ

Seraphina was lying in the hospital bed , her raven eyes wide open . At her bedside sat the formidable Professor Snape. After a brisk quarrel which was cut short by Poppy , Severus had agreed to get his wounds healed first, but he hadn’t left the hospital wing. He ensured that Seraphina was also treated . Poppy looked despairing after healing the young witch's wounds . Her eyes couldn't believe the fact that a 16 year-old girl had born the tremendous amount of pain and torture for her Professor . The wounds Seraphina acquired after the torture were grotesque. Poppy almost cursed under her breath when she wiped the blood off the Ravenclaw's chest and the name of Gilderoy Lockhart appeared from beneath the opaque curtain of red blood . The nurse launched numerous questions on the girl accompanied with a sympathetic gaze . 

" Severus, please go get some sleep. Today will be a hectic day for both of you . Hey some rest now, " repeated Poppy for the fifth time. 

" Sir, it's 2:30 in the morning . I think you should get some rest because you need to know the answers of many questions of yours in the morning, " added Seraphina with a playful smirk on her lips. 

Severus breathed a heavy sigh before opening his mouth to speak, but no words escaped his lips . 

" Thank for saving me, Miss Barclay, " said Severus finally, his voice filled with a heavy tone . 

" Sir, I was not the one who saved you. It was the Headmaster who saved both of us, " said Seraphina, who's face glowed under the moonlight entering from the large window over her bed. 

" But if you wouldn't have told the Headmaster about the whereabouts where we were taken, nothing would have happened " added Severus. " And I am sorry that because of me, you had go through those horrible things, " he continued in a small voice. He was regretting every moment for helplessly watching her pain and torture, doing nothing . 

" Don't blame yourself for what was done to me, sir . I went after you; you didn't asked me to . So whatever happened was because of me, not you, " said a calm Seraphina . 

Severus took one last, long glace at the girl on the bed. With a unexplainably heavy feeling in his chest, Severus marched out of the infirmary towards the rear of the dungeons where the portrait of the warrior hung .


	14. Chapter - 14 Order of Merlin

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Who will be awarded the Order of Merlin ?

What had happened at Malfoy Manor was like a nightmare for Severus , who found it hard to sleep at night when the pitifully bruised figure of Seraphina appeared before his mind’s eye. It was easy for Seraphina because she was used to her insomnia, so that helped her . Early morning, after the whole drama had taken place was the most hectic and dramatic for both Severus and Seraphina . 

After the few hours of the nightmarish sleep , a note from Headmaster Dumbledore arrived for both of them . Albus had given them a day off from their classes and duties , although Seraphina received it with reluctance at first, but subsequently she was thankful to the old wizard for his generosity . Madam Pomphrey didn't discharge the young witch from the hospital even after much pleading . The Medi-witch also didn't allowed anyone to meet the Ravenclaw until she was convinced that Seraphina was in a condition good enough to answer their questions. 

At last, when the evening sun's dying rays entered the infirmary from the large window over Seraphina's bed , another message for Seraphina arrived from the Headmaster's office. The young Ravenclaw read the message with a sly smirk playing on her lips . 

Dear Seraphina , 

The time has came for you to answer some questions . I hope you can remember enough to come to my office to answer them .

Albus Dumbledore 

Poppy helped Seraphina get off her bed . The wounds that the Death Eaters had given the young girl were wrenchingly ruinous and the use of magic would have been fatal , so Poppy had to heal many of her injuries in the Muggle way . 

The girl was so abysmally mutilated that even the most effective potions of Professor Snape's and Madam Pomphrey 's healing spells couldn't heal Seraphina enough so that she could walk on her own . The nurse had to help Seraphina walk up to the Headmaster's office Gargoyle. Many students eyed the duo on their way to the seventh floor of the castle . Not a single soul residing in the castle knew the events that happened at Malfoy Manor except for the ones who had been present there , so everyone was surprised to see a sincere student like Seraphina injured out of the blue . 

The Headmaster's office was a little too crowded for it's capacity . Habitually, the old Headmaster was seated behind his desk, and the Head of Gryffindor house Professor Minerva McGonagall stood beside his table . Both had an austere look on their faces, but the old wizard's eyes twinkled from behind his half-moon glasses. Professor Filius Flitwick gasped at the sight of his best student in that condition. Another figure of a middle-aged man appeared from the green flames of the fireplace at the same moment as Seraphina made her entrance. It was the Minister of Magic, Jacob Griffiths . 

He gave the young witch a sly smirk as he made his way to the Headmaster's desk and seated himself comfortably . Another person stood there in the shadows of the candlelit room . It was Professor Severus Snape, who without a second thought went to help Seraphina make her way towards the armchair which had been distinctively kept for her near the fireplace . Albus and Minerva gave each other a playful smirk, while the Minister sat there dumbfounded. He hadn’t a single clue why the pair had smiled when Severus had helped the girl . 

" So, I suppose we all are ready to hear the truth, " declared Albus as he raised his wand and with a wave of the Elder wand , a hot cup of tea appeared out of thin air in front of everyone in the office. 

Jacob Griffiths opened his mouth to speak, but before any words could pour out of his lips, the sound of hurried footsteps climbing the stairs filled the room . Everyone in the room stared at the door blankly . Abruptly, the gate thudded open and, appearing from behind it, the figures of two young students in their uniforms with blue trimmings, panting heavily. It was Lucifer and Elenore . 

" We are so sorry for being late, Headmaster Dumbledore . Actually, Peeves threw us into a classroom and locked us in . It consumed a lot of time, " explained Lucifer, who was out of breath . 

The old wizard let out a small playful chuckle . " I must admit, Miss Barclay is lucky to have such caring friends on her side, " he said . " Come in Mister Jones and Miss Wilson . I was just wondering why you two were late, " he continued. 

" So, let's begin . I assume, Seraphina, you won't mind narrating to us the whole story of what happened last night, " Jacob broke in as he turned towards the girl silently sitting in the armchair gazing at the maliciously bloody flames of the fireplace . 

Seraphina let out a heavy sigh as her gaze shifted from the fire to the people surrounding her . She took a long pause before narrating the whole story. Everyone gasped when she reached the part where Lockhart was revealed to be the one who was helping the Death Eaters and was providing them with the internal information. 

" But why did he do this?" asked a baffled Minerva . Her sharp face was overhauled by a puzzled look . 

" Because he was jealous of Professor Snape, " said Seraphina, her head bowed low with the guilt of lying . 

" Then why did you said ' how dare you touch me? ' " questioned Jacob . 

Seraphina opened her mouth to lie again, but the deeply enticing voice of Severus Snape filled the room before the words could leave her lips. 

" Miss Barclay, I request you to tell Headmaster and Minister the truth, or I will be forced to do so myself, " said Severus. 

Seraphina looked up towards the shadows by the bookshelf from where the voice came . 

Biting her lips to calm her nervousness , she spoke in a small voice," So, the main reason, apart from the jealousy about Professor Snape is me. " 

Everyone fixed her with a puzzled look except for two people - Lucifer , who had deduced the whole situation by this time, and Batman who listened to Lockhart's intention himself . 

" On our last trip to Hogsmeade , Gilderoy Lockhart confessed his feelings for me . He told me he was in deeply in a condition of formidable love with me, and that he wanted me to be his better-half for the rest of his life . " 

The words left Seraphina's lips in no more than whispers. The name of her former Professor came out with a cold contempt from Seraphina's lips . Professor McGonagall and Professor Flitwick cursed under their breath . A disgusted look came over Jacob Griffiths’ face as he heard what the girl said . 

" Gilderoy Lockhart planned all that because he had a misconception that I liked Professor Snape, and that if he used some Death Eaters to harm Professor Snape, it would weaken my respect and admiration for him . And ... And ..." the voice seemed to fade away from the Ravenclaw's throat. 

" And ? " asked Jacob with the same disgusted look on his face . 

" And he thought that I would fall for him eventually. " 

" How could a man stoop that low ! " exclaimed Professor McGonagall with disgust . 

" But why didn't you come to me after whatever happened at Hogsmeade? And Severus, I want to know why you kept this a secret from me? " asked Albus , the twinkle seeming to have faded away from his eyes .

" Headmaster, please don't question Professor Snape about his actions. I am the one who should be blamed for all that happened . Many of Lockhart's gestures were very questionable for a teacher, but it was I who ignored them, and after whatever happened at Hogsmeade, I had Professor Snape take an unbreakable vow to not to tell anything to you because I didn't want Daniel to hear any such news," lied Seraphina in a small voice. Although she did made her Professor promise her but it wasn’t as serious a promise as an unbreakable vow . 

" But I still can't make out the concrete reason for your not telling me about all that, " stated a visibly baffled Albus .

" Sir, if I would have come to you with such a severe complaint like this, you surely would have written a letter to my brother , as you are obliged to perform your duty, and I respect that from the depth of my heart . But if Daniel had found out about this, he would have been gravely distressed, and I didn't want him to feel distressed because of me," she explained.

Albus said no more . He was astounded by the reply the girl had given. She thought of others before herself, and that was a rare quality to be found in wizards these days . 

An eerie silence followed before the Minister broke in by asking Seraphina a question .

" Seraphina, I know this is a very grave and intimate question to be asked, but I have to, as I will be pressing charges against Professor Lockhart tomorrow, and we will be convicting him . So, did he try to force himself upon you? " asked the man with a great deal of hesitation . 

Seraphina's head was still low , she stared at the carpet on floor . 

" Yes , he forcefully kissed me while we were in Malfoy Manor, " whispered Seraphina , but her whispers were more than enough for everyone residing in the room to hear . 

Albus sat there with a look devoid of any expression on his face. Professor Flitwick and Lucifer reflexively cursed loud enough for everyone to hear . Elenore's mouth gaped open as she heard what her friend had told them . Everyone sympathized with the girl. On the other hand, Severus felt disgusted in himself that he wasn’t able to stop it from happening . 

Professor McGonagall walked up to the armchair where Seraphina sat. She kneeled down on the floor to be level with her. The old witch took the Ravenclaw's stone-cold hand in hers . Although the young witch was sitting in the proximity of the fireplace her body was cold as ice . 

" Oh, girl ! I still can't believe a young witch like you could be so brave . " reassured Professor McGonagall with a warm smile. 

" Now that I suppose all of ours questions have been answered , I would propose that Mister Jones and Miss Wilson ask their own, " interrupted Albus . 

Minerva stood and went back to her place where she had been standing the whole time . 

A determined look came over the square face of Lucifer as he was acknowledged by the Headmaster to ask his question . 

" Seph , I don't want to bother you much now that I know what happened at the Manor . Just answer two questions of mine . How dare you write that letter to me ? " said Lucifer . His efforts for calming himself were visible in his voice . 

Seraphina raised her head to face her friend who was leaning on the bookshelf of the Headmaster's office. 

" Maybe I can answer this question later, " she said.

" No need to worry, Miss Barclay. We all, except for Professor Snape and Mister Griffiths, know about the letter . And it interests me a lot, too , so hopefully you won't mind answering the question here now, " Albus cut in. 

Seraphina sighed heavily before answering the question . 

"Please don't judge me. It's just that I knew I was going after eleven Death Eaters, so I was somewhat scared that it might have been my last letter to you three. So, I wrote it as it was . And Aslan told me death would be near me." explained the adolescent girl with a defeated tone .

" And for Merlin's sake, why the hell did you go all by yourself after those Death Eaters ? " questioned Lucifer with impatience growing his voice .

" I... I just went after them so that I could ensure that they didn’t try to harm Professor Snape and wouldn’t try to kill him before Headmaster Dumbledore arrived," said Seraphina . “And now if you ask why I didn't asked you to join me; I simply didn't have time for that, " she explained.

Lucifer opened his mouth to speak but shut it before any words could have poured out of his mouth. 

" I hope you don't mind showing the letter to me . I also want to know why a written piece of parchment is a matter of grave interest, " Jacob broke in before anyone could have said anything further. Lucifer pulled out an envelope which had been torn open hastily and handed it to the Minister . Griffiths skimmed through the parchment several times before placing it on the Headmaster's desk . He sighed gravely and gave a long look of sympathy to Seraphina . 

Albus passed the parchment to Severus who took it very reluctantly . But every word written on the letter left a great mark of respect for Seraphina in Severus's heart. The letter read - 

Dear Lucifer , Elenore and George , 

I don't know where I will be when you three will get to read this . Professor Snape is in danger, and I don't know what I will do, but I am going after him to make sure that he doesn’t get hurt much . I have already informed Headmaster Dumbledore . Maybe this is my last letter to you guys, or maybe not. I have no idea what will happen. 

You three have to promise me that if anything not so good happens to me, you will always remember me . There is my ring in the envelope with this letter. Keep it with you if I don't return breathing. And please do me a favor - if you don't get to see my face tomorrow morning , please tell Batman on my behalf that he is my favorite Professor and that I won't let anything happen to him . Elenore keep all of Alan's photographs safely with you, and George, please keep the book The Feeling's of an Artist as a remembrance of me. 

Promise me you won't cry if your weirdo won't be there next to you . I will try my best to see the coming sunrise myself, but Professor Snape's life is more important than mine . I love you all . Tell Daniel he is the best gift that life has ever given me.. 

Bye .

Your Seraphina/Weirdo/Seph/Al 

Speechless , Severus was speechless . The girl knew that she was walking towards grave danger that could have cost her life . Severus's life was more important for her than her own . How selfless a person could she be? 

He shifted his gaze from the piece of parchment held in his long slender fingers to the girl sitting in the armchair, gazing into space . The bloody malicious flames radiated off her pale skin . The jaw-shattering punches and the nightmarish torture had left many scars all over her delicate face . Even though she wasn't wearing an alluring off-shoulder light blue gown or any ethnic Indian dress, she looked beautiful. Her fierce raven eyes had a sad look cast over them . Severus very badly wanted to press her delicate form in a tight comforting embrace, but painfully, he refrained from doing so. 

" I am speechless by the intensity of your bravery, Seraphina, " the mild voice of Minister Griffiths broke in , tugging Severus out of his ocean of thoughts. The middle-aged man fixed Seraphina with a look of gratitude. 

" Not many sixteen-year-old school going witches have faced Death Eaters , helped the Ministry track down eleven killers of the Dark Lord's army, and saved the life of their favorite Professor . And most of all, none of them possesses the audacity to write such a letter to their friends," said Jacob austerely with a serious expression on his slightly wrinkled face . " I am not a man of such disposition to say such things to many people, but Miss Seraphina Barclay, I have to admit that your acts , gallantry, and your devotion towards the people with whom your loyalties lie is commendable and very fulfilling, " he continued. His mild voice filled the office as everyone listened to what the man was saying .

" Sir , I am very thankful to you for your praise, but with due respect, I have done nothing that courageous or that praiseworthy . I just did what I felt was right, and it doesn't matter to me whatever consequences I have to suffer for such acts because Professor Snape's life is more important than anything else for me. " Seraphina spoke after a long moment of silence. 

" What consequences are you talking about, Miss Barclay? " asked Albus who fixed her with a puzzled look .

" Sir, I am well aware that you all consider my actions as an act of bravery, but I have also broken numerous school rules and uncountable laws of underage magic . And I know that I will get punished for that, " said Seraphina with her head low now from shame. 

" What are you talking about, Seraphina ! Punishment ! I lost the count of the number of House Points I will be awarding to you for this, " cried Minerva, who was visibly astounded by the girls modesty . Everyone residing the room fixed Seraphina with the same look as Minerva and everyone shared the astounded feeling of the old witch. 

" Well, thanks Minerva, for reminding me of the Awards . Seraphina are you aware of what was your mother's highest accolades ? " Asked Griffiths with a chuckle .

" She was an Order of Merlin , Third Class," replied Seraphina silently . Sadness came over her harrowed face at the name of her deceased mother .

" What my experience tells me is that mostly the offspring of great personalities aren't that great as compared to their parents . Most of the children of the Order of the Merlin recipients that I am in contact with aren't half as capable as their parents, but you are a profound exception, my dear . If your mother had been here, she would have been so proud of you, " complemented the Minister proudly . 

" I am sure she won't have been proud of a Prefect who had disobeyed the rules and a witch who has broken innumerable laws, " added Seraphina . Her voice almost at the verge of cracking. 

" No, she would have been proud to see her capable and bewildering daughter matching her skills and even surpassing them. " 

" I am not even half as good a witch as my mother was, " whispered Seraphina .

" Miss Seraphina Barclay, I hereby pronounce that you will be awarded by the Ministry of Magic, the Order of Merlin , First Class for your exceedingly courageous act. " announced Jacob Griffiths with a heart-warming smile cast over his lips. 

Everyone except Albus , Severus, and Jacob himself gasped under their breath at the announcement. Elenore almost fainted after she heard, Lucifer having to hold her to keep her from falling flat in the Headmaster's office. Seraphina's jaw dropped as her eyes widened . She opened her mouth to speak, but no words escaped. It seemed that she had lost her voice . 

" Sir...sir...you must be kidding . I...don't deserve this, " the words left Seraphina's lips with a emphatic tone . 

" Listen, Seraphina, I heard from Albus that you are a girl of high integrity, and I respect that . I am also aware of the fact that you were offered the post of Head Girl here and you refused it , but I have no right to comment on that because that was your choice . But right now, this decision is by the Ministry and it's Minister to award you , so you can't refuse this time," pressed Griffiths as he rose from his seat , after having a quick handshake with the Headmaster, he walked up to the stunned witch and extended his hand towards her. Seraphina shook his hand , her eyes still pleading . 

He turned to leave, but before he could have stepped inside the fireplace, Seraphina's voice stopped his departure. 

" Excuse me Minister Griffiths , there is something I need to talk to you about . " 

" Yes, Seraphina ?" He turned to face her . 

" Sir, whatever happened at Malfoy Manor shouldn't reach the Daily Prophet, " said the Ravenclaw . 

" My apologies, but I don’t get your point, Seraphina . Why shouldn’t the world know about your act and the cause of your being awarded with Order of the Merlin ?" asked Jacob , his brows knotted in confusion. 

" I acknowledge the fact this incident cannot be kept hidden from the world, but what I propose is that the Daily Prophet and the people should know a different version of the story," said the young witch with a intellectual tone. " I mean to say that the world should know a different truth, " she continued in the same tone .

" And what will be that truth ?" asked Albus from behind his desk. 

" The truth will be - I was kidnapped by a few Death Eaters, and Professor Snape came after me to save my life . He and I were fighting the Death Eaters against great odds until Headmaster Dumbledore came with others . That's how we helped you track down eleven killers of Voldemort's army, " Seraphina dictated. 

Her face looked as if it was carved out of stone - extremely expressionless and lifeless. Her black glasses placed above her scarred nose. 

" But why do you want the world to know a lie ! " cried Minerva . 

" Because the truth might affect Professor Snape's image . It's hard to believe for anyone that he - the man who killed Voldemort himself, was taken away by a few Death Eaters and it was a girl - a girl like me--who went after and informed Headmaster Dumbledore . People will ignore the fact of the odds he had to face and the fact that they took away his wand , but what they would remember would be the fact that Headmaster Dumbledore had to come to his aid . I know what I am asking you to tell the world isn't the truth, but it's believable , at least . It won't bother anyone that I was kidnapped and he came to my aid . Professor Snape has an image that is needed to be sustained - after all he is an Order of Merlin recipient, and I don't want his respect to be affected by someone so insignificant like me, " said the adolescent girl. 

Not a word was spoken in the room until Severus decided to contradict the idea proposed by the way-too-mature-for-her-age girl . 

" Miss Barclay, there is enough that you have had to suffer because of me, and I won't let you suffer any more . The world should know the truth: that you are the most valiant girl the world has ever known. " His deep , enticing, and cavernous voice attracted the attention of everyone in the office . He still stood in the shadows of the bookshelf . " And please never call yourself insignificant ever again, " he added . 

Jacob looked away from the girl with a frustrated look on his wrinkled face . " I should say that sadly I agree with every word Seraphina spoke . You are right, Severus's image will surely be affected by this news, and people will surely forget the odds that were against him . But although I agree with your thinking and intentions, I must say that your 'version of the truth ' will affect your image, and I can't let that happen , either. I suppose if we bend the truth a little more than things will work out fine, " insisted the Minister . 

Albus broke in before Seraphina or Severus could have spoken anything. " How about saying that Seraphina and Severus both were on their patrolling duty when they observed some uncertain happenings in the sky, which they noticed form the large windows of the castle, and Seraphina went to investigate. When Severus noticed her missing from the castle, he went after her. That was when the Death Eaters took hold of them and forcefully took them to the Manor . The pair fought bravely even after the odds, and I came there for a little help ."

" I think this version is the best because no one's a victim, and this story will not affect anyone's respect or image, " concluded Albus . 

" I find this idea perfect ! Thanks, Albus, for the help . " 

The Minister thanked Albus and turned towards Seraphina and said, " Now that I have a perfect version of the story to tell the world and another Order of the Merlin recipient, I can go back to work satisfactorily . See you at the Ministry tomorrow, Miss Barclay, " said the man as he stepped into the fireplace and vanished into the green flames . 

Seraphina shook her head sheepishly a bit as the words of the Minister sunk in. A puzzled look came over her delicate face . Albus surmised her question and answered it before she could utter it aloud.

" You will be accompanying Professor Snape and me to the Ministry tomorrow for the court trial of Gilderoy Lockhart. " 

A shiver ran down her body at the name of her former Professor. Although he wasn't anywhere near her, she could still feel his lips on hers , the furious desperation in them still sent nightmarish thoughts to her mind . Pushing the thoughts aside, she looked up at the Headmaster with a look of plea on her bruised face .

" I am sorry, Seraphina but not only me but the Ministry considers you capable of this," said the old wizard . 

Seraphina bit her lips in hesitation . She rose to leave when Lucifer came to help her . Headmaster Dumbledore asked the lovebirds to stay back while Seraphina could wait for them outside. 

" And yes, before you leave , have this. It will help you to walk by yourself, " added the old wizard. 

He raised his Elder wand, and with another swish of the wand, a lustrous brown, wooden walking stick appeared in front of Seraphina out if thin air . She took it with an embarrassed look on her face . 

Severus saw her limping her way towards the door , he couldn't bear it anymore . The girl was in pain because of him, and there was nothing he was doing to help her . He briskly made his way towards her and placed his hand on the small of her back . The young witch was taken aback by the act. She was about to flinch away when his soothing voice fell on her ears - 

" I am just trying to help you . Don't worry, I will never try to hurt you. " 

Seraphina eased . Making their way out together, Severus helped her descend the staircase to the Gargoyle . Down in the corridor, she waited for her friends who were still in the office . Severus's gaze didn't leave the girl , as if he was afraid she would vanish the moment his gaze wandered away. 

After a few minutes, the lovebirds arrived with an austere look on their faces. Lucifer launched his train of questions as he reached the girl , but Seraphina didn't answered a single one simply she flung her arms around the two and pulled the duo into a tight embrace. Lucifer fell silent at her abrupt act, but soon he pulled her closer with tears in his emerald blue eyes .

" I thought I had lost you, " he whispered in her ears. 

Pulling away from the long embrace, Seraphina chuckled and soon the lovebirds joined in. 

" What was it that Headmaster Dumbledore told you ?" Seraphina asked breathlessly .

" Nothing, he just asked us to take special care of you because the coming days isn’t going to be easy for you, " replied Lucifer. " And yes, keep your ring with you . It doesn't fit on my fingers," he added. 

Seraphina beamed at the sight of her rusty ring. 

" Oh Lucifer !" cried Seraphina as she put the ring back on her left hand. 

" I suppose you two might excuse Miss Barclay for a while . There are a few more questions that she needs to answer, " Severus broke in . 

" The last time a teacher took you away like that, you looked worse than a corpse. I remember that clearly, " commented Lucifer wryly . 

" LUCIFER !!!" Seraphina warned her friend . She passed the dirty-blond haired boy a death stare . 

" I would never fall as low as the level of Lockhart , Mr. Jones, " said Severus in a hissing tone . He felt offended on being compared to Lockhart.

" Lucifer, I need to go with Professor Snape . There are a few more things he need to know, " said Seraphina. 

Reluctantly, Lucifer agreed, letting go of Seraphina's hand. The young witch limped away from the lovebirds. They made their way out of the castle.

Down in the courtyard, Seraphina sat on the staircase of the Grand Entrance. At that time of the day, the courtyard was almost empty except for a few students who eyed them suspiciously. Severus decided not to sit beside the girl so he stood near her. 

" So, you wanted to ask something , Professor ? " started Seraphina.

" Why ? Why did you came after me ? " asked Severus with a desperate look on his slender face . 

" I couldn't have let those Death Eaters hurt you, " said the young witch with a chuckle . " Sir, if there would have been any other teachers or anyone else, I would have gone after them," she added. 

Neither of them spoke for a long while . Severus found it hard to express what he felt in words . After a long pause Severus decided to break it , his words tugged Seraphina, who looked lost in her own ocean of thoughts , out of them . 

" So, what is diérchetai ? " 

The Ravenclaw took a long pause before answering the question asked to her. Finally she spoke - 

" The day I came here, when the sorting ceremony was held--I don't know if you remember that Professor--but the sorting hat said something in French . He said - la famille des surdoués. I come from a family of wizards and witches who are born with a special ability that no other exhibits . Now, I know it sounds odd, but this is the truth . My mother was gifted with the ability that she could reverse or extinguish the effect of any spell , jinx, or curse in the whole world, while my aunt who send me the dress I wore at the Halloween party , she is gifted with the capability of sensing others fears and worries. The Royal wizarding family of France honored our family with that name . While everyone in my family is gifted with something that is their strength and helps them , I on the other hand, exhibit the ability to see anyone's life's journey, and it doesn't stop there. I also have the ability to feel every one of the feelings they ever felt . If I see through someone's mind, I can also see those memories of that person which might have faded from their active collection of memories . It's strange and depressing sometimes when the person had gone through a lot of pain in their life. I failed to control this at first-you know, seeing anybody's life without their consent, it nagged at my integrity, but eventually my mother helped me out with it, and I learnt to control my gift by the age of ten . But don't worry, I didn't looked through you. I respect you too much to do that ." 

The words came out in no more than whispers . The young witch was cautious not to let anyone else other than her Professor hear what she was saying. She was still staring into the space beyond. 

Severus harkened prudently . As every word the bruised girl spoke fell on his ears , his admiration for the girl augmented . The reason was not her belonging to the reputable family, but the real reason was Seraphina's sincerity . She was capable of looking into everyone's life but she didn't. She respected other’s privacy and consent . But one thing wasn't fitting in was - 

" But you said you are the only one in the world who could do diècrhetai . So you named this power ? " 

" No, I didn't named this . It is a Mongolian folkloric term . In many of the Mongolian folktales, this power has been described as a gift only God's Angels possess . God gifted his Angels with such power so they could look into anyone's life , feel their feelings, and grace the humankind with kindness and love . Unfortunately, even in Mongolia itself it is considered folklore and no one believes any wizard or witch could have been graced with such a holy power. My mother had to do a lot of research to find the purpose my ability serves. " answered Seraphina . 

" So, you are a real life Angel of God, " commented Severus after analyzing what she said. 

Seraphina gave him a look of utter dismay at the comment. 

" Angels can save lives, and they are immensely alluring , Professor . Clearly , I don't qualify for either " said the adolescent girl in an undertone . The sadness in her raven eyes grew as she said so. 

" That all depends upon how materialistic you are , Miss Barclay, " said Severus . 

His words received a look of bafflement from the gifted girl . 

" You saved my life . If you wouldn't have came there and informed Headmaster Dumbledore about all that , I might not have been able to stand here and talk to you . And I take the pleasure in telling you that Angels have a blissfully beautiful soul, “ he continued in his soft tone. 

Seraphina looked up at her Professor with a look of utter amazement cast over her delicate face. She was genuinely surprised on hearing Batman's philosophical thought. 

" I never knew you believed in philosophy , Professor, " chuckled Seraphina. 

It was Severus's turn to give her a look of dismay . The young witch guessed his question .

" I never thought a man as logical and smart as you would talk about internal beauty and soul . It's all philosophical, which I may say with due respect, but it is completely different from your normal self, " explained the Ravenclaw .

Another period of silence took over the pair . Abruptly, a very funny thought stuck Severus's mind .

" So, you call me a Bat? " he asked with pretended seriousness. 

Scarlet dusted Seraphina's cheeks as she bowed her head low with embarrassment .

" Actually, I call you Batman . It's nothing funny , I swear . Batman is a Muggle comic book character, and I should say he is a very good man. " She tried to explain herself . " The thing is that you are always clad in black clothes similar to Batman . He is actually a hero who saves his City from crime . A handsome vigilante . I just found him similar to you in many aspects . I am sorry, " she continued in a small voice. 

The young Professor let out a small chuckle at the explanation the girl proposed . His chuckle lightened the thick aura of awkwardness that had come over them. 

" Professor , I also wanted to ask you something . I know that I shouldn't ask this, but my curiosity is killing me . I am ready to take detentions if you find it offensive . But is it Miss Lily the person whom you love? "

She hesitated. " Actually, I overheard your and Miss Wilson's talk . I know I shouldn't have, and I am sorry for that. But I heard you saying you loved someone who is the most adorable and the most lovable witch you have ever known. Was that Miss Lily you were talking about ?" whispered Seraphina with a great deal of hesitation .  
Her eyes hovering , trying to avoid any sort of eye contact with her teacher. 

Severus's body stiffened at the girl's question. In the ten years that had passed, no one - not even Albus--dared to ask about Lily to him , but now the girl whom he had imprinted on was asking him about the woman. The Potions Master didn't answered for a long period of time. Seraphina on the other hand interpreted his silence as a rejection of her question. 

Sooner or later, Seraphina will know about Lily . Now that things have unraveled themselves to this extent , Severus felt it right to tell Seraphina about Lily . 

" She was Mrs. Lily Potter . We both were batch mates . She was in Gryffindor, while on the other hand, I was in Slytherin . We both were friends, or that's what I thought we were . I excelled in Defense Against the Dark Arts while she liked Potions, but she required constant help with it . She always asked for my help , that helped to flourish my ability in potions . I started to like her because she was the only friend I ever had, but eventually she started liking a boy named James Potter of Gryffindor . He was a famous boy from a affluent family. He wasn't particularly good to me, and I still don't know why he held such prejudice for me . I felt isolated. That was when I committed the biggest mistake of my life. There was a group of boys who were influenced by the darkness and hunger for power of the Dark Lord . They comforted me and persuaded me into joining the Death Eaters. I was well-received by the group of cynical killers - especially the Dark Lord himself--because of my knowledge in the Dark Arts. The Dark Lord promised me that he would provide me with immense knowledge of Potions and the Dark Arts, and I was blinded by my greed ; I agreed to join . I thought my new knowledge and the new aura of alpha male I had gained by joining them would win me back Lily's affection, but I was wrong . 

" The Dark Lord ordered me to become a teacher at Hogwarts when I turned eighteen. I agreed because by that time I had nothing to gain or loose . My mother died when I was sixteen; Lily left me alone and married James . I worked as an agent of the of the Dark Lord for three years until the prophecy about the boy who would kill him was made. I heard the prophecy and informed the Dark Lord . He made further efforts and concluded that either the son of the Longbottoms or Potters would kill him . When I heard it was Lily and James Potter he was talking about, I begged my former master to spare Mrss Potter's life , but he didn't promised me he would. Mrs Potter died with her husband and their infant child ." 

The young man spoke in no more than whispers . Seraphina looked up at his lean and slender face, which looked paler than it usually d . In her eyes was a look of sympathy for her Professor . 

" That was my end of my rope . I revolted against my master and joined Albus in his war against the Dark Lord. But conditions there weren't very optimistic, but I had the fire of rage burning inside me . I wanted to avenge the death of the last person I cared for . I passed all the vulnerable information of the inside circle of the Dark Lord to Dumbledore, and I decide to fight no matter what the prophecy said - no prophecy could have calmed me, and I convinced everyone to help me take down Lord Voldemort. I never thought I would be the one to be remembered in history as the one who took down the darkest wizard ever born, " he continued . 

Glancing at the girl sitting on the staircase, Severus took another pause before speaking further. He stepped towards the girl and sat besides her on the stairs. It wasn't common to see a Professor holding such long conversations with students , but one thing that had never happened before was seeing Professor Snape having a visibly deep conversation with any student . 

Seraphina leaned on the stone wall to her right and slightly turned to face her Professor. 

" I...I don't know the reason for you to tell me what really happened but if you think that whatever the Death Eaters told me changed my idea or weakened my admiration for you , it's nothing like that , Professor . I wouldn’t have believed a single word they spoke, even if you hadn’t told me that . I am sorry for Mrs. Potter , although I don't posses the superiority to say this, but I must say that it's very brave of you to let go of the lady you loved. It takes a lot of courage to accept the fact that you will be deprived of love . If you think that what you did was wrong , so I must tell you this: that sometimes conditions just aren't in our favor. I don't blame you for joining the Death Eaters because if anyone - even if I would have been in your shoes at that time , I would have taken that step . You know I have felt the feeling of isolation. It's very hard to go through , but I am lucky to have Daniel, because after my parents died, he was the one who took care of me - actually he is the reason I am here next to you. Although I don't have the right or disposition to say so, but please don't blame yourself for the situation that wasn't in your control. It was your destiny and you reached it; you just can't deny your destiny, sir, " innuendo Seraphina . 

She raised her hand to squeeze her professor's shoulder but stopped mid air out of hesitation. She wasn't sure whether consoling her Professor physically was the right act or not . If he had been anyone - anyone who was not Professor Snape--she would have pulled them into a tight embrace or have taken their hands in hers, and she would have brushed the back of their hands with her thumbs to calm their mind down, but she hesitated to do either with the Potions Master. 

Severus shot her a glance of pure and raw surprise. She didn't judged him. She hadn’t told him that his acts were wrong or preached to him about wrong and right . She simply had said something to him that made him feel less guilty. He felt light after a long period of thirst for such a feeling. 

" But Mrs. Potter never considered me a true friend of hers. There were some vulnerable moments where I needed a friend , the way you are there for your friends and even the people you barely know , but sadly she was never there for me. James Potter, her husband, held an unalterable prejudice and hatred for me as I have told you. Mrs Potter never tried to resolve that, and I regret that, but after the war, I realized that I was wrong about Mrs. Potter, and I moved on from her . I wasn't talking about Mrs. Potter that night , Miss Barclay . I was talking about - " 

Suddenly he fell silent as the dead. Severus suddenly realized that he had spoken more than he was supposed to . Seraphina didn't reacted at the abrupt silence , she was mature enough to understand his realization. She kept silent . 

A grumbling sound filled in the silence. It was Seraphina's stomach which was demanding to be nourished. Severus stood and gave the Ravenclaw a hand for her to take. She took it reluctantly . Severus dropped her by the infirmary where a visibly angry Madam Pomphrey awaited them . The medi-witch was very upset with the young witch for not returning to the infirmary after the meeting with the Headmaster. 

ልረልክ

The morning of the 27th of January brought a lot of zeal and attention for Seraphina . Elenore burst into the infirmary despite the strict prohibition from the medi-witch. 

" Girl, you are all over the Daily Prophet ! " yelled Elenore, who stomped towards her friend who was wordlessly sipping bouillon . " Youngest Order of the Merlin recipient! " She continued yelling. 

Seraphina took the copy of the Daily Prophet from her friend and roughly skimmed through the lines . The broadly printed title in black read - 

" Seraphina Barclay - the Youngest Recipient of the Order of the Merlin Ever " 

The girl who conquered the dragon strikes again . The young witch at the tender age of sixteen will be awarded with the most prestigious award of the Wizarding community . The declaration of this news was made yesterday by the Minister of Magic, Jacob Griffiths himself . He praised the young lady a lot in his statements - ' I feel immensely proud while announcing this . Seeing young witches and wizards flourish gives me the sense of relief that the future is in safe hands. I met Miss Seraphina personally, and she posses all the abilities to be a future leader. Let's pray the gifted witch is interested in joining the Ministry in the future '.  
Barclay is receiving the award for informing the Ministry about the location of eleven Death Eaters . It is also reported that Barclay, with the savior of the Wizarding world - Severus Snape, faced the eleven cynical killers. Five of the eleven were taken down by Barclay herself . Minister Griffiths stated that when he reached the location of the Death Eaters, he saw the sixteen- year-old witch fiercely fighting the former members of You - Know - Who's army . Barclay also saved the life of Severus Snape by taking a curse cast at him by throwing herself in front of him . Involvement of Gilderoy Lockhart with the Death Eaters is also suspected . His trial will happen today . To learn more about Seraphina Barclay, turn to p.g. - 2 . 

The Ravenclaw had turned as red as she could get after reading the article about her. She was baffled by seeing the photograph of her and Batman on the front page .

" Good Lord ! Seriously the whole newspaper is filled with this only . You turn to page two and you will see your whole biography ! " cried Elenore. 

Seraphina didn't uttered a single word. She didn't know what was she was supposed to say . As soon as everyone in the castle read or heard the news about the Ravenclaw prefect being awarded with an Order of the Merlin , a crowd erupted at the entrance of the infirmary. Thankfully Madam Pomphrey prohibited anyone from entering. Only Lucifer and Elenore were allowed to come in. The lovebirds brought Seraphina her clothes and a book. The medi-witch and Elenore helped Seraphina change her clothes and she also changed her bandages. Elenore gasped loudly on seeing the name of Gilderoy Lockhart engraved in her friends bosom . 

After Seraphina was dressed, Lucifer and Elenore helped her out through Madam Pomphrey's office . Making their way through the castle , the friends at last reached the Grand Entrance where the old wizard with a long and slivery white beard awaited them alongside the black figure of Batman . After greeting, the lovebirds retreated, and Severus , Seraphina, and Albus made their way towards the black iron gate of Hogwarts castle . 

The adolescent Ravenclaw wore a pair of Muggle jeans with two layers of sweaters and a dark brown overcoat hanging on her shoulder . Her Ravenclaw muffler was wrapped around her neck, and she had pulled on a pair of bright yellow mittens which stood apart from the rest of her dark outfit. 

A wave of unease flooded her body as she realized they might be Apparating to the Ministry. She didn't wanted to vomit and get embarrassed in front of the Headmaster and Batman . Luckily, outside the gate stood a black carriage with Ghabishe tied to it. Seraphina beamed at the sight of the alluring creature. 

Albus sat facing the young witch, who sat next to Severus . While the wizards chatted , the Ravenclaw had her nose buried in her book - ' Frankenstein. ' 

" I appreciate your love for novels, Miss Barclay. but if you’re reading out of fear, you needn't be scared. After all, we three have the same reputation now," said Headmaster Dumbledore . 

Seraphina had been so deep into the book that the old wizard's voice seemed to have triggered her out of her ocean of thoughts.

" Sir, although the Minister awarded me with this accolade, I can never equal your legacy and reputation, " replied Seraphina . 

Albus gave her a impressed look . Not many wizards stay so humble after being felicitated by the award but this girl was so unaffected by the knowledge, she was still the same sweet , humble and warm girl everyone admired .

The journey was brisk, and in no time they were standing in front of the building called the Ministry of Magic. It was a dark building with a Victorian era structure. As they made their way inside of the Ministry , Seraphina noticed all the eyes bating her . Everyone had a copy of the Daily Prophet in their hand, and their fingers pointed at her. Limping her way along , Seraphina, Severus, and Albus finally reached the conviction room , outside of which stood Jacob Griffiths himself . After giving a quick handshake to the men, he turned to face the lady . 

" I am so happy to see you, Seraphina . Well, I presume you have already read the Daily Prophet ," said the Minister with a chuckle. 

Seraphina nodded wordlessly . After a few more questions from the middle-aged man, they followed him inside the brightly lit tiled room . Black tiles covered the whole room except for the ceiling from which a huge chandelier was dangling . The Ministry officials who were draped with raven robes and a black hat crowned each of their heads. They sat in a semicircle opposite to which was kept a black chair . Seraphina seated herself in the semicircle crowd of people , sandwiched between Batman and Headmaster Dumbledore. 

Minister Griffiths knocked his gavel on the table , asking for silence. Eventually the trial started. 

" Today we all have gathered here for the trial of former Order of the Merlin , Third Class, Gilderoy Lockhart . I may request the Aurors to present Mr. Lockhart in front of us, " declared Griffiths in an emotionless tone .  
The entrance of the tiled room lunged open and four figures appeared from behind it. A wave of rage flushed down Seraphina's body as her muscles tightened . Gilderoy Lockhart stood surrounded by Aurors on three sides , their wands pointed at him . The Aurors pushed him further into the room and made him kneel down on the floor in front of the crowd sitting in a semicircular pattern. The Minister first called for Headmaster Dumbledore to bear his witness , then it was Professor Snape’s turn, and lastly Seraphina was called upon to bear her witness. Batman helped her make her way to the chair. After he left , the questions of the Minister followed. 

" So, Miss Seraphina Barclay , was this man present at Malfoy Manor during the time you spent there? " 

" Yes, " she replied. 

" In what circumstances did you find him there ? Did you hear any conversation he held with the Death Eaters ? " The question followed. 

Seraphina narrated the whole tale of the previous night . Everyone residing in the room listened to her analytically. The young witch gazed at the floor in front of her, avoiding any sort of eye contacts with anyone. Jacob further asked about the behavior of Lockhart in the school. The Ravenclaw laid the bare truth in front of everyone. Her voice grew flat and dead the more she spoke about her former Professor . Further responses included her ignorance towards the questionable behavior . 

" So, it is clear that Lockhart was interested in you as more than a student , so did he try any type of physical or sexual assault on you? " asked Griffiths, his tone clearly showed his minor attempt to mask his disgust for the man kneeling down on the floor . 

Seraphina nodded in agreement. The memories of the kiss numbed her . 

" Is there any physical evidence of that, or do we have to look through your memories? " suggested the Minister . 

For the first time in a long moment, Seraphina raised her head to answer. Her eyes looked dead, as if the Dementors had sucked the life out of her deep , raven orbs, and her tone was even more dreadful. 

The young witch raised her left hand in the air in a ballerina-like flourish; her index finger pointed at the ceiling. Out of the blues a blue mist of light formed around her ballerina positioned hand . Her raven eyes were fading and a crystal blue color came over her orbs as she did so . The Ravenclaw moved her hands in a smooth and swift manner , her act resembled a dance which was mesmerizing to spectate . The mist of crystal blue left the vicinity of her hand and flew towards the ceiling . Suddenly a roof of blue mist covered the head of everyone residing the room. Everyone except Albus--as if he had seen it all before--looked baffled and mesmerized at the same time by the beauty of her magic . 

Soon, the mist started taking the shape of an identifiable figure, and in a spilt second the blue mist was conjured up into a whole scene. The figure of Seraphina tied to the chair, and Lockhart on his knees to be level with her appeared . The figure looked as real as it could. It was like seeing Seraphina's memories, but without the help of a Pensieve . Everyone heard what the figure of Lockhart made of mist said . 

Lockhart's abrupt kiss cut off what the young girl was saying. The Ministry saw how much the girl flinched and resisted, but the blond wizard was too determined in kissing the love of his life to notice . Severus felt as if a dagger had been stabbed into his chest , seeing Lockhart kissing Seraphina without her consent erupted a wave of rage in his body. His fist clenched out of anger. 

Eventually, Lockhart pulled away and simultaneously the mist disappeared , leaving everyone dumbfoundedly staring at the bare ceiling above their heads . Jacob was the first to compose himself , shifting his gaze back to the girl sitting on the black chair. He cleared his throat to tug everyone back to reality. 

" I thought wizards lost this ability centuries ago, " commented Griffiths. 

A smile played on Seraphina's lips--the first time since the morning , but it wasn't her warm , genuine smile , it was a sly Slytherin smirk. 

" Diaries of ancestors aren't that romantic after all, " added Seraphina . 

Jacob cleared his throat again and proceeded with the trail . The conviction was announced after Seraphina was finished with her testimony. 

" After analyzing all the accusations and proof presented against Gilderoy Lockhart . I, Jacob Griffiths , Minister for Magic find Gilderoy Lockhart guilty of association with Death Eaters and sexual assault of an underaged witch . He will be sentenced to 20 years in Azkaban as the sentence for the former accusation and for the latter proven accusation, he will be sentenced an additional 10 years, " declared Griffiths .  
Gilderoy Lockhart , who was kneeling on the tiled floor shot a glance at the crowd of people he was presented before , in his crystal blue eyes was a look of desperate plea .  
“ Don’t do this to me ! Don’t do this to me , please ! Please I was wrong to join hands with Death Eaters but please don’t send me to Azkaban ! “ erupted the voice of Lockhart , but his plea was left unheard by many . Eventually his eyes met Seraphina’s who had a look of pure and raw anger in them .  
“ Seraphina I love you why don’t you understand ! Please tell them I am not bad …please “ the words came out from his lips as tears started rolling down his cheeks . But all went unnoticed as everyone went in their way leaving behind a crying Lockhart.  
The wizarding court was dismissed, and everyone in the room was curious to talk to Seraphina Barclay - the youngest recipient of the Order of the Merlin. Luckily, Severus and Albus helped her squeeze her way towards the exit where the Minister himself awaited them. 

" I never knew you could perform the human Pensieve spell, " said Jacob as the trio approached him. 

" That is called the Reumeros spell , sir, " said Seraphina with a small smile playing on her lips . " I found it in my great - great - great - great grandfather's dairy. I have to praise the spell. He casted on the diary didn't let it rot even after 400 years. " She added. 

" Well, Jacob and I need to have an important conversation; it might take sometime . I suppose you two should leave. I will Apparate back to the castle, " Albus broke in . 

Severus and Seraphina nodded in agreement and made their way through the crowd of Ministry people. It was then Seraphina's eyes fell on the group of Aurors pushing Lockhart forward. Seraphina walked as fast as her throbbing body could have allowed her to, and soon she was a few feet away from them . Seraphina yelled - 

" Excuse me, Aurors ! I need a moment with him. " 

The Aurors stopped at the request, and in no time Seraphina was standing in front of her former Professor . She pulled out a shining object from the pocket of her dark brown overcoat. 

As she pressed the shimmery object in Lockhart's hand, she said, " This might help you count your time at Azkaban . " 

Turning away, she walked off , away from him . Severus gave her an impressed look as he paced towards the limping girl. 

" That was commendable, " he commented. 

Seraphina gave him a sly smirk. 

ልረልክ

Seraphina requested the young Coachman to drop her in the village of Hogsmeade, which garnered her a series of questions from her companion of the journey - Professor Snape. 

" Sir , I simply want some fresh air, and a walk will help me in refreshing my mind, " explained the Ravenclaw . 

Severus gave her a dismissive look but agreed to her request. On arriving at Hogsmeade , Seraphina climbed off the carriage, but to her surprise, Batman also climbed off with her. 

" You also want some fresh air , Professor? " commented the young witch with a warm smile , who was leaning on her wooden walking stick. 

" I obviously couldn't let you have a 'walk all by yourself ' now that everyone knows you will be awarded an Order of the Merlin, and I doubt that you have recovered enough to be left alone, " said Batman. 

Scarlet dusted on her cheeks , on the Professor's words. The pair had a silent stroll down the village street , but they had be cautious to avoid hordes of villagers. Leaving the magical village behind them, Severus and Seraphina walked towards the castle. It wasn't a brisk walk; the journey was time consuming. Occasionally, Severus gazed at the young girl with narrowed eyes . 

Still a considerable amount of walk was left when the duo heard someone call Seraphina's name. They turned to find a man in Muggle clothes sprinting towards them. As their vicinity increased , abruptly the witch cried out . 

" Daniel !!!! " 

In the blink of an eye, the Muggle was in front of the bruised girl. Pulling her small figure in a tight embrace he whispered something into her ears . Seraphina wrapped her hands around his stiff torso and buried her face in his chest. She suddenly looked more relieved and joyous . Pulling away, Daniel asked in his husky voice - 

" What is that you have got yourself into this time , Angel. " 

" It's a very long and pathetic story," replied Seraphina with a warm smile . Daniel scanned his younger sister analytically and spoke. 

" Who the bloody hell did this to my lovely sister !" he vented , anger visible on his handsome face . 

" Leave it , it's a long story, I told you . But what are you doing here ? Is everything all right ?" asked Seraphina in a concerned tone . 

" Your Headmaster wrote me a letter inviting me here to attend your award ceremony . Just confirm for me first, is it the same award Rose was awarded with ? " asked the Muggle man. 

Seraphina nodded . 

" I propose we should be heading back to the castle . The Headmaster will be looking for you, Mr. Barclay, and Miss Barclay need some rest, I suppose ." Severus spoke for the first time since the entry of the stranger Seraphina called Daniel . The sibling turned to face the young wizard . 

" Oh, and he is Professor Snape, and sir, this is my brother Daniel , by the way, " the girl introduced the strange men to each other as they gave each other a quick handshake . 

" So, you are Mr. Severus Snape . She talks very highly about you . Did she ever tell you she has longed to meet you ever since she was nine years old? " asked Daniel with a chuckle. 

Seraphina gave her brother a warning look . 

As they started walking towards the castle, Daniel saw his sister limping so he picked her up in his arms and walked further. Seraphina resisted cheerfully, but eventually leaned her head on his shoulder and wrapped her hands around his neck. 

Severus saw all that but it didn't feel wrong to him . But one thing didn't fit in - why was Seraphina's brother so much older than her ? Seraphina was sixteen and her brother looked to be in his early 40's . 

ልረልክ

Daniel very patiently harked everything the old wizard told him, but impatience , anger and vexation was erupting in his body . How dare that Lockhart touch his sister ! Sitting on the chair at the Headmaster’s desk, Daniel gazed at his sister who sat on the armchair kept near the fireplace. Finally, when the old wizard was done , Daniel vented -

" I won’t tolerate this ! I want the man in jail this very moment ! I don't know how your system conducts this kind of thing, but I want him behind bars. " 

" Relax, Daniel , he is in Azkaban . We attended his trail this very morning, " Seraphina broke in . 

The statement seemed to have calmed him down a bit. 

For a long moment, no one residing the room uttered a single word. It was Headmaster Dumbledore who decided to break the silence. 

" I am pleased you came to attend the award ceremony of you sister, Mr. Barclay . I would be happy to accommodate you in our castle, " suggested Albus .

" That is very sweet of you, but I would prefer to lodge in a motel down in that village, " replied Daniel . 

He was as unimposing as his sister Seraphina. 

" When is the ceremony by the way ?" asked the Muggle .

" It's the day after tomorrow, " replied Albus .

ልረልክ 

The day and a half passed away quickly, but not for Seraphina . She was surrounded by students every second of the day ever since Madam Pomphrey discharged her from the infirmary the following day. By the time the young girl was discharged, she no longer needed the walking stick, but still there was the slightest hint of limp in her walk . Everyone was curious to know the story from the girl herself - after all she was the youngest and the only student recipient of the Order of the Merlin to date, and she surely would be the only one to have been awarded such an award at her age. 

Out of the blue, all the students were interested in the wierdo of Ravenclaw. Many were longing to be her friend . Seraphina gained a lot of unwelcomed attention, which bothered her. She received a lot of gifts from people she was unknown to; many letters arrived designated to her from people across the world . The mealtimes were the worst time period for Seraphina. Everyone in the Hall eyed her. Every student wanted to sit next to her for the meal; all wanted to be known as the friend of the Ravenclaw Prefect. Blissfully, the presence of Daniel down in the village of Hogsmeade gave her a genuine reason to excuse herself from the horde of teenagers swaying behind her . Seraphina spent her hours after classes with Daniel – who, although he knew about the magical world, he still felt amazed by the uniqueness it possessed . 

Even after everyone's pursuance, it was still hard to break the young witch's adamant esteem. She was denied her patrolling duty for a week, but Seraphina's sense of righteousness didn't allowed her to stay in her dorm. That wasn't the only reason for her doing so , though. Back in the dorm, everyone questioned her about what happened at the Manor and about Lockhart, which sent a stinging pain down her spine . 

The Ravenclaw was patrolling the eerie corridor of the castle after hours . As she reached the corridor of the east side of the castle, she came across Batman. 

" I thought Madam Pomphrey prohibited you from straining your body, Miss Barclay " said Severus with an arched eyebrow . 

" The people are driving me crazy back in the dorm , sir . All they want to know is what Death Eaters look like, " replied the young witch in a frustrated tone . 

Although Severus understood her frustration , he had gone through it before himself, but then also he pressed for her to return back to her chamber. Seraphina agreed in defeat. It was futile to argue with Batman . 

ልረልክ

Finally, the day of the ceremony arrived. It was going to be held in the Ministry building . The award recipient was allowed to invite guests ; it was a clear choice for Seraphina. She invited Daniel , Professor Snape, the lovebirds , George , Headmaster Dumbledore, Professor McGonagall and Flitwick and the rest of the faculty to accompany her . But there was still one consideration, the young witch was supposed to walk down the aisle of the ceremony with a partner - the rule baffled Seraphina . Why was a partner important? 

" Sir, Can't I walk down the aisle with Daniel? " asked Seraphina looking highly upset.

" No, Seraphina, you can't walk down the aisle with your brother. You need someone ' special.’" Replied Headmaster . 

" Sir, this is with all due respect, but what kind of nonsensical rule is this ? " said Seraphina in a skittish tone. 

" I understand your point here, Seraphina, but not everyone who receives this award is as young as you. They have settled in life; have a loving life partner . This is not a rule but a tradition to pay your respect to your parents who stood beside you in every phase of life, " replied the old wizard with a playful smirk playing on his lips . " But yes, it doesn’t always mean you have to walk down with your life partner only. You can also walk with someone who you hold in high esteem when you are receiving this award," he added finally. 

Seraphina couldn't help but smile at his reply. All her complaints faded away from her mind . Paying respect to your loved ones – it was just so heart warming. 

Although Seraphina invited all the teachers of Hogwarts. only Professor Snape - whom she invited personally , Professor McGonagall, Professor Flitwick and Professor Hagrid accepted the invitation . 

On the morning of the 29th of January, three carriages awaited the awardee and her guests at the gate of Hogwarts. The lovebirds, George and Daniel boarded one carriage, while Professor McGonagall , Filtwick , Headmaster Dumbledore and Professor Hagrid boarded the other. The only ones left were Seraphina and Severus who boarded the third one . 

" So, who will be walking down the aisle with you , Miss Barclay ? " asked Batman , who was sitting next to her in the carriage .

" I still don't have any clue about that Professor. I think I may be walking down the aisle alone . But who walked down with you when you received the award sir ?" Replied Seraphina, turning to face her Professor.

" I walked down the aisle with Professor McGonagall, " said Severus . 

Something struck Seraphina's mind. Her face gleamed with hope, but she wasn't sure whether the idea her mind had conjured up would work or not . 

" Excuse me, Professor, " Seraphina called to Professor Snape, her voice filled with hesitation . " I was wondering if you would mind accompanying me in the award ceremony? " She gulped hard out of nervousness. " After all, you are the reason I am receiving this award . I know it's a very stupid proposal, but I don't know anyone else whom I could ask - " She penuriously tried to explain herself to Batman who looked at her in surprise. . 

" Miss Barclay, relax. I know this ceremony is important, and I would be pleased to walk down the aisle with the bravest Order of the Merlin recipient, " said Severus, cutting the Ravenclaw's sentence in half. 

An affirmative answer was the last thing the girl expected, but her gaiety was visible on her delicate face. 

The journey came to an end as they stood in front of the old building of the Ministry of Magic . As Seraphina climbed off the carriage, she looked more buoyant than before . Walking inside the building, everyone felt the aura of zeal cast over the Ministry . A young lady in her early 30's named Barbara Smith greeted them at the entrance of the building and escorted them to the hall where the ceremony was to be held . 

Many tables lined the humongous hall , which were already occupied by numerous famous wizards and witches. The ceiling held a vast and delicately carved glass chandelier, and may other sphere lanterns were lit with the help of candles. While Barbara escorted the others to the assigned tables, Severus and Seraphina were held back. They stood near the entrance of the hall until they were escorted to another room which was stocked with make-up and uncountable alluring fragrances and sanguine.

" It's for your touch up if you would like it . I will come back in fifteen minutes to escort you back for your ceremony, " explained Barbara in her pitchy voice as she left the duo in the room .

Seraphina scanned the room absent-mindedly , feeling edgy in her gut, she started pacing to and fro anxiously. Severus, who was leaned on the wooden wall , closely observed her . 

" Miss Barclay, you should relax, " he said . 

" Oi, I don't know how to relax, Professor," said the girl. 

Severus wore his usual black robes , while Seraphina wore an off-shoulder navy blue dress with an off-white overcoat and a pair of stilettoes complementing the color of her sanguine. Her hairs were tied in a ponytail at the back of her head. 

Seraphina took off her overcoat to get a look at herself in the full length mirror placed near a cupboard . As she took off the coat, her off-shoulder dress revealed the hideous scar on the left side of her bosom. 

The sight of the girl's scar sent a stinging pain down Severus’ chest . The scar Ravana casted over her was still there , Severus felt humiliated , firstly the girl survived the torture destined for him and now she was dwelling the marks of those nightmarish torments . No he won’t let that happen , he won’t let a admirable witch bear the scar .  
Raising his hand , be pointed his wand towards the girl, and a string of purple lights poured out of the end of his raven wand and flew towards the girl looking in the mirror . Seraphina didn't have the time to react because the light struck her bosom instantly and the painfully red scar started fading away. In no time, the last of the witch's skin was back to normal . A look of utter shock came over her delicate face as she gazed at her bosom for a long time . Abruptly she turned towards Batman, who still stood in his place. She badly wanted to pull him into a tight embrace, but she refrained from doing so . 

" Thanks... I thought it would be on my body forever. Madam Pomphrey said there was nothing she could do to heal it, " she managed to whisper . 

" I am sorry . It was because of me that you had to bear that hideous scar," said Severus in barely more than a whisper himself. Seraphina didn't speak, she was so overwhelmed by her emotions . 

The door thudded open, and the lovebirds stomped in uninvited . 

" Girl, you are given such an opportunity, and you would still wear this dress, " cried Elenore after scanning the room. " I ain't goanna let you receive the award in that hairstyle of yours, " she added . 

Ignoring her friend's unspoken protest, she pointed her wand at her and a very faint golden light escaped her wand and circled around Seraphina's head. The next moment her hair was tied in a bun with many strands of hair freely dangling . 

The lovebirds left, and Barbara came next to escort them back to the hall . Down in the hall, a red carpet was laid, leading straight to the low-lying platform in the far end of the vast hall . Seraphina wrapped her hand around her Professor's muscular arm, and they slowly walked towards the platform. Everyone residing in the room spectated the entrance of the youngest Merlin awardee with a previous Order recipient. The sound of enchanted camera's flashing from the Daily Prophet filled the hall . As they reached the vicinity of the platform, Seraphina was supposed to be escorted further by an Auror . Severus transferred Seraphina to the Auror, then walked towards his table and seated himself with his colleagues. 

Seraphina climbed the platform, and after a quick handshake with the Minister , she was handed her framed certificate stating she was the recipient of an Order of Merlin--First Class for the valorous act of bravery and a framed medal with a large 'M' engraved on it. Eventually she was asked to make a speech . 

" At this moment, I remember something I read - ' Faith makes all things possible . Love makes all things easy . Hope makes all things work. ' People says my act is valorous and audacious, but for me, it was my faith in Professor Snape that gave me the strength to face the Death Eaters. It was my stern belief in my thoughts that fought the fear erupting inside me at that moment. 

" I am at a loss of words to describe the feelings erupting inside me, and I beg your pardon for that . Mom , Dad I miss you and thank you for making me capable enough. Daniel, thanks for being with me at every moment of my topsy-turvy life . Lucifer , Elenore and George , thanks for being the most wonderful people in my life . Headmaster Dumbledore , please accept my gratitude, for if you wouldn't have been there, things would have been different. Professor McGonagall and Professor Flitwick thank you for everything. Professor Snape thank you for showing faith in me when I had lost mine . Thank you everyone ." said Seraphina her eyes glassy from the curtain if years she was trying hold back penurious manner.


	15. Chapter - 15 Valentine's Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Will a romantic evening will be able to bring Severus Snape and Seraphina Barclay closer ?

Ever since the award ceremony, the Ravenclaw Prefect's popularity had reached new heights. Out of the blue, not just the students, but the whole wizarding world was interested in her . Daniel left the evening of the ceremony , leaving Seraphina without a concrete reason to excuse herself from the crowd of students . This time her achievement was far more exorbitant than surviving a Dragon . No matter where she was , be it the Great Hall , corridor , classes, or lavatory, she consistently found herself encompassed by a horde of students who were curious to know how it felt to duel the Death Eaters , or what the Ministry building looked like . Luckily, the lovebirds helped her squeeze her way towards the class without grabbing much attention towards herself. Unfortunately, the teachers were no better than the students themselves. except for Batman, who still treated her the same way as before , every other teacher gave her special treatment, and her mistakes, which were rare in themselves, were either dismissed or blatantly ignored. 

Seraphina hated it; she hated it all; the special treatment , the attention and everything was so alien that the witch could not understand it . To cope with it all , the adolescent Ravenclaw decided to consistently keep her nose buried in a book , but little did she know that doing so could help next to nothing. 

One night, after a tiresomely long day of answering the questions of fellow students and receiving a horde of letters from people she barely knew , Seraphina was performing her patrolling duty. Her nose was buried in a copy of ' Pride and Prejudice ' by the Muggle author Jane Austin. She was so into the book that she barely looked at the eerie corridor laid in front of her .

" Ignoring the path you are walking on might cause injuries, " a deep , cavernous voice fell on her ears as she realized her intense reading had caused her to zone out of the real world . The voice tugged the witch out of her ocean of thoughts . 

" Oi, " cried Seraphina as she became genuinely scared . The girl gasped, and the book fell from her hands . 

As Seraphina composed herself, she noticed Batman's wand delicately held in his long slender fingers , her book flying in mid - air near his wand . 

" Enjoying the book? " remarked Batman with an arched eyebrow. His tone was dipped in heavy sarcasm. 

" It's nothing like that Professor . It's just the..." Before Seraphina could have explained herself, the voice of the man standing in front of her cut in .

" It's just the stress , I know . I have also gone through it, Miss Barclay. " 

" Good Lord, somebody understands it ! You know Professor it's just so irritating, " spat the witch with an austerely irritated visage . 

" And what is it that irritates you, Miss Barclay? " asked Professor Snape . 

The Ravenclaw sighed before speaking .

" Professor, as you have also received the Merlin award , did you also feel that the behavior of people changed towards you? Prior to this everyone called me a weirdo, but now it's all changed . Suddenly, out of blue, everyone wants to be my friend , hang out with me, or wants to be my seat partner - they don't even spare me in the library . I am still the same, but the people around me have changed so much that it feels like I am in an alien place, " aggregately said the young witch . 

" People change their behavior seeing your position in the world , Miss Barclay. Something similar happened with me too. Not everyone cared about me much before I killed The Dark Lord . I suggest you ignore them and live your life like you have lived it to date," said Batman in a reassuring tone . 

" I hope you don't mind answering one of my questions, Professor? Why do you call Lord Voldemort , the Dark Lord? You killed him , why would you prefer to pay respect to him by calling him that ? Because I read that the Dark Lord was a title given to him out of respect for his excellence in the Dark Arts , " questioned Seraphina in a hesitant voice . 

Severus was amused by the girl's observation and treasure of knowledge she exhibited . 

" Our ideas were surely divergent, and his pathway of life was more wrong according to me, but that by no means signifies that I would ignore his exorbitant knowledge and unparalleled skills . I can never level his erudition, and I believe in respecting my superiors . Disrespecting someone greater than you is against my integrity," explained Severus with a sly smirk . 

A small smile crept on Seraphina's lips as she heard the reason. The man standing in front of her proposed. Her raven eyes fixed Batman with a look of pure admiration . The Ravenclaw had always admired Professor Snape, and at times the veneration had flourished, but today she felt she could laud the man no more . Professor Snape was an Order of Merlin, First Class; he killed Lord Voldemort but he was so blasé about it . 

" But you also prefer to call him 'Lord' Voldemort. Why do you offer him respect by calling him Lord , Miss Barclay ?" asked Batman reversing the question asked back at her . 

" My reason is somewhat similar , Professor . The ideology of a person does not define his capabilities and intelligence, " said Seraphina in an intellectual tone. 

Severus gave her an impressed look, being genuinely awed by the intellect of the witch. 

" Sir, can I get my book back ?" asked Seraphina in a small voice . 

" Before I return your book, I want a promise from you, Miss Barclay. I shall not see you so deep into a book in an unconventional place like the corridors or library ever again, " cautioned Batman . 

The adolescent girl shot him a pleading glance but acknowledged the severity of his proposal. It wasn't a lie that her zoning out while reading had cost her many times. Once she had been late for Charms class when she slowly strolled down the corridor while skimming a book of hers . Another time she almost fell from the enchanted staircase.I It had been Jason who had gotten hold of her , keeping her from falling . 

Nodding sheepishly, the Perfect spoke in the same small voice, " Ok , I promise you that , Professor Snape . " 

Severus gave her a slight nod as he held the leather jacketed copy of her book , extending it towards the girl. As Seraphina took the book from her, she emerged from her doldrums. 

" Oh , I just remembered! I wanted to thank you for obliterating the scar. Although I have never feared scars in my life, I didn't want to see the name of that man every morning on my body, " said Seraphina in a small voice , the hint of Gilderoy Lockhart sucking out the zeal from her . 

" Miss Barclay, I request that you don't thank me for the little I did for you . After you took all the torment destined for me , I don't want you to thank me for removing the pathetic name that didn’t deserve to be there after all," replied Severus, his black orbs fixed on the girl's.

The Potions Master saw the clouds of sadness cast over Seraphina. He felt bad for her . He stopped himself from pressing her into a tight embrace to comfort her , because sadly, he wasn't a friend of hers . 

ልረልክ

The coming morning brought a very handsome yet irritating stranger into Seraphina's life . After an awkward breakfast where everyone stared at the young girl , she went on with her daily routine, which had changed a little due to her new accolade . While attending the last class of the day - Potions , the Ravenclaw was concentrating on brewing a presentable Angel's Trumpet Draught when the door of Professor Snape's class thudded open, revealing a very handsome young man of 25 from behind the door. A big, boisterous smile was plastered upon his square face . His deep blue eyes twinkled from the phosphorescence of the flames , a clenched jawline outlined his square face while a few strands of his dirty blond hair freely fell over his forehead . 

He wore velvet green robes . Holistically he was a handsome and young man who exhibited a charismatic manner . Everyone shot him a sudden glance except for the young witch who seemed to have zoned out of the class while brewing her potion . The alien man scanned the room for exactly the person who wasn't looking at him. His handsome face beamed at the sight of Seraphina Barclay . Walking up to the girl , who stood alone at the counter very precisely cutting Alihotsy , he filled the room with his not - so - distinguishable voice . 

" Hello, Mizz Zeraphina Barclay. " 

The knife which had been slitting the Alihotsy a few seconds earlier pierced the girls index finger as her concentration broke like shattering glass . The red life-gifting liquid poured out of the small yet deep gash , smearing the patched leaves . Neither did the adolescent girl gasp nor did she made any sound declaring her injury. An austerely disappointed look came over her face as she glanced at the blood-soaked leaves for the few moments before the voice of the stranger fell on her ears again . 

" I am zo zorry, Zeraphina " 

The black figure of Severus Snape briskly made his way towards the girl and the stranger who had stormed into his class uninvited. His deeply cavernous voice broke in before anyone could have uttered a single syllable . 

" I neither gave you the permission to enter this class nor to intrude on any of these promising students while they are brewing one of the most complex potions . " 

The stranger shifted his glance from Seraphina to Severus , his face beamed yet again . 

" Oh, Mister Znape ! What an honoz to meet zou ! " cried the young man, but Severus was no longer paying him any attention. His black orbs were fixed on the leaves of Alihotsy , smeared with blood on Seraphina's counter . The Ravenclaw hid her hand beneath her raven robes penuriously . 

" I would like to see your hand, Miss Barclay, " said the young Professor. 

" Merlin, forgive mi ! Actually zhe got a cut from the knife when I called out to her zuddenly, . " explained the handsome stranger .

Seraphina pulled her bloodied hand from beneath her robes, but before anyone could have taken command of the situation, Seraphina had her wand pointed at the finger with a light green stream of light pouring out of end of the Aspen wand . The thread of faint light encircled the blood-smeared finger, and within the blink of an eye, the blood was gone and the slit healed back to normal . 

" Sorry for smearing the blood , Professor ." said the girl in a small voice as with another flick of her wand the blood and the leaves of Alihotsy disappeared from sight . 

" Oh well, I am Dimitri Agapov , a journalizt from the Daily Prophet . I haz come for your interview, " broke in the voice of Agapov as he extended his hands towards the young witch . 

" Rad znakomstvu Mister Agapov . YA dumal, chto eto rabota Ms Skeeter. Ty russkiy ili ukrainets, " replied Seraphina without looking at him , her head hunched over the new bunch of Alihotsy leaves . Everyone including Severus in the class shot the Ravenclaw witch a puzzled glace as she spoke a language she had never declared she knew .

" Russian ! You know Russian ! Well it would be my immenze pleazure to interview the youngezt Merlin awardee ! " Dimitri gushed zealously in a thick Russian accent . 

" I don't give you permission to disturb any of my student while they are studying, " spat the Potions Master .

" But I haz Headmaster Dumbledoz's permizion for this," cried Dimitri . 

" I beg your pardon for interrupting, but Mister Agapov, I would request you to please wait. I am halfway through my potion, and I don't want to leave it, " Seraphina broke in, but her head was still hunching over the cauldron with the dark purple liquid . 

" As zou wizsh, Zeraphina . " agreed the Russian man . 

" I assume your Daily Prophet has printed about Miss Barclay enough for you to know that she is Seraphina, not Zeraphina, " snapped Severus as he shot Dimitri an irritated look . 

" It's fine, Professor. Mister Agapov isn't saying that deliberately , it's his accent, " explained Seraphina. Still she didn't raise her head when answering the men . 

" Thankz, Zeraphina . Oh what zou prefer I call zou ?" asked Dimitri. 

" Zeraphina will do fine, Mister Dimitri ." said the young witch nonchalantly. 

Turning towards the black figure standing near them, Dimitri pulled out two pieces of parchment from his robes pocket. 

" The Headmazter azked me to give zou this," said the Russian wizard as he placed one of the pieces of parchment on the counter . Severus took the parchment which read - 

Severus, I would like you to provide your dungeon classrooms to Dimitri Agapov for his interview session with Seraphina Barclay . 

Albus Dumbledore 

The young Professor skimmed the sheet thoroughly with an arched eyebrow . Why would Albus ask Dimitri to have his interview in my classroom ? the question erupted in his mind . 

" And yes, Dumbledore alzo gave me the permizzion to ztay here for the rezt of the clazz to obzerve how Zeraphina attends her lecture, " added Agapov as he comfortably seated himself . 

Severus didn't resist. It was the order of the Headmaster , hence it couldn't be denied, so after snapping the students back to reality, he went to his desk and sat in his chair, the parchment still in his long, slender fingers. He flipped it over to get a look at it's back where he noticed something else was written. 

'To love or have loved, that is enough. Ask nothing further. There is no other pearl to be found in the dark folds of life.' 

His arched eyebrow arched further. Why would Albus write such a quote on an official parchment ? Severus couldn’t deduce the note any further. He tapped the end of his raven wand on the quote written on the parchment in Albus' curvy calligraphy. The green ink started to disappear, and from beneath it appeared another written note from Albus. 

Dear Severus ,

The Daily Prophet has sent a reporter to interview Seraphina , but I suspect he would surely hint about Gilderoy Lockhart and also might try to ask her about the assault . I have asked him to hold the interview session in your classroom so you could monitor his questions, although I trust Seraphina. Still be cautious that the reporter doesn't try to get his hands on the truth of what happened at Malfoy Manor. 

And yes, I heard that Seraphina and you were having deep conversations and a lovely stroll down in Hogsmeade . So, do I have the liberty to assume you two are growing closer to each other ? 

Albus 

The Dungeon Master was left wide eyed after he read the last lines of the letter from the old wizard. How could Albus think so impulsively about love ? Did that old man think that a girl like Seraphina would ever like a man such as him? 

Eventually, the class ended with Seraphina brewing a presentable but still not perfect potion. Elenore brewed a better potion than her friend, while Lucifer almost burnt his cauldron from the toxic acid he had brewed. While everyone left the classroom, Severus asked Seraphina to stay back for the interview . Severus sat behind his desk with the bundle of essays on Felix Felicis that the sixth-years had submitted the last week. Seraphina and Dimitri Agapov sat at the end of the classroom facing each other. 

" So, Zeraphina , how doez it feel to be the youngezt Merlin recipient ?" asked Dimitri in a cheerful tone. . 

" It feels..." the Ravenclaw was at a loss for words . " It feels nice, " she said in a small voice . Her reply was followed by a train of questions mostly about her lifestyle , choices, and her aim in life . 

" Zo, what do zou azpire to be ?" asked Agapov . 

" I don't know, " replied Seraphina in a uncertain tone. Her raven eyes was as blank as her tone was .

" There is news on the Wizarding community about the Ministry being desperate to have you as an Auror, " commented the wizard with a thick Russian accent . 

A baffled smirk took over Seraphina's lips as she heard the words of the man sitting in front of her. 

" Auror is the last thing I would want to do." 

The Russian wizard wasn't able to understand her assertion, but the adolescent girl intuited the unspoken question. 

" When too many people want to achieve a particular thing, it becomes popular among the masses . I on the other hand, never do anything that the masses do. Nothing I do is deliberate; it's just my choices that doesn't go with the crowd. And I believe there are many students who want to become Aurors while I just don't find the job suited for me," explained Seraphina. 

" Imprezzive ! Zo, what iz it that zou wants to do?" questioned Dimitri. 

" I don't know what exactly it is that I want to do, but maybe something that could change the world--make it a better place for living . Something that is adventurous , which gives me knowledge, and yes, something that keeps me occupied for most of the time," replied the witch . 

Severus was no longer marking the essays, but was listening toharking what the girl said , Why was she so admirable ? Somewhere deep inside his heart, he was thankful to The Dark Lord for choosing Seraphina for him. The young Professor was content because Seraphina never caused him pain, unlike what the curse was supposed to do to . 

" Why do zou want to be buzy all the time? Don't you want to spend time with your boyfriend ?" asked Agapov , his voice tugged Severus out of his thoughts .

The adolescent witch chuckled before answering. 

" I doubt I will find one, " commented Seraphina .

" Why do zou think itz hard for zou to find a boy ? " question the reporter as he ruffled his dirty blond hair . 

" I don't think it's hard to find one, but it's just my intuition," replied Seraphina. 

" Maybe the Daily Prophet can help zou find a fine male," joked the young wizard with a chuckle .

" That's very sweet of you to say, but I feel that the one who is destined for me will cross my path, maybe even in a most unnatural way possible. But if someone is written in my destiny, I will surely meet him," said the Ravenclaw in a quiet tone . 

The eagle feather quill slipped from Severus' hand as he heard what the girl whom he had imprinted upon said. The innocent girl didn't know that her destiny had already been set, and the Dark Lord hads chosen her for someone who didn’t deserve her kindness , love , warmth, and her generosity. 

" So, do you want to say anything about Gilderoy Lockhart?" asked Dimitri in a hesitant tone , his eyes hovered , ignoring Seraphina's . 

Seraphina no longer felt despondent, nor did she look dreadful when Lockhart’s name was brought up.I Instead, her warm eyes overflowed with cold contempt for her former Professor. 

" I feel you are crossing your limits, Mister Agapov . That question is way too personal to be asked," snapped Severus as he stood up from behind the desk . 

" There iz nothing perzonal in this, Mizter Znape," snapped back the journalist. " And why are you intruding? After all, whatever he did was with her ?" he continued. 

" Let me inform you, Mister Agapov, that your statement is very offensive, " hissed Severus as he tried to control his anger. 

" I don't zee anything perzonal in thiz ! The whole world knowz that Lockhart iz in Azkaban for trying to..." Dimitri left the sentence incomplete after he realizing what he was saying .

" There is nothing personal in this, Professor ," the voice of Seraphina made itself heard for the first time since Batman broke in . " After all, my feelings aren't worthwhile in comparison to the top-selling story they will conjure up from my one statement, and the world will yet again get a chance to pity me . Leave it, Professor Snape, it isn't worth your time, " she added. There was no sign of emotions on her stony face . Slowly, she rose from the bench and collected her books, stuffing them inside her leather bag and started walking off . 

" Zou can't leave halfway through the interview! More than half of my questions are left !" Agapov called for her from behind . The Ravenclaw didn't care to even turn to answer him .

" You deliberately lost your right to interview me, Mister Agapov, " said Seraphina . Before she could have walked any farther, Dimitri Agapov caught hold of her arm . 

" I am zorry if I offended zou, Zeraphina . I am really zorry , please forgive mi, " pleaded the Russian wizard .  
Before any word could have left Seraphina’s lips another voice broke in .

" Apologizing after doing your actions deliberately is not worthy of any generosity or forgiveness. I appreciate your commitment towards your work, but that by no means give you the right to hurt anyone's feelings, especially when the topic is so delicate and the person has already gone through a lot . I would prefer if your apologize to Miss Barclay this very instance, Mister Agapov." the deeply cavernous voice of Severus Snape filled the room before the girl could have replied .

" Either you shouldn't have thought that low about me or you shouldn't be asking for my forgiveness . This makes your character weak and others opinion about it strong . But forgive me, Mister Agapov, but your thoughts saddened me more than your words offended me," said the witch in a calm tone without the hint of offense. 

Finally she turned to face him ," I am very cognizant of what the world thinks about me, and for your information, it doesn’t bother me because a very intellectual man told me that I should live my life the way I want, and not let the world bother me . And if you want to know about Lockhart , listen carefully. Yes, he thought about fornicating with me, but that pathetic thought died in his mind. where it had erupted . If you were expecting a crying girl when you asked about this, I am not sorry to disappoint you. Actually, I am very pleased to disappoint your pitiful thinking . Now let go of my arm, or I will have to ask Professor Snape's help because I am in no mood to talk to you anymore," declared Seraphina in a cold tone. 

Dimitri Agapov's fingers loosened as the young witch's hand slid out of his grip, and she walked out of the Dungeon classroom. It took no time for the handsome wizard to pack his own things and he approached Severus before leaving Hogwarts . 

"I don't know my way about thiz caztle. Could zou pleaze take me to Zeraphina? I... I... I wanted to zay zomething to her," said the reporter in a small voice. 

" It would please her if it would be a genuine apology," commented Severus before walking off and indicating him to follow . 

Soon they were at the entrance of the Great Hall which was neither fully packed nor scarcely populated. Seraphina was sitting at the far corner of a table in front of them with her nose buried in the book of advance transfiguration . Severus and Dimitri saw two students in the same robes as her approaching her . Severus walked towards them, and yet again the Russian wizard followed. As they vicinity increased they heard the voices of Elenore and Lucifer cursing.

The Potions Master spoke as they approached the three students." Miss Barclay , Mister Agapov want to say something to you in front of everyone. " 

" I haven't denied anyone from speaking, " commented the adolescent Ravenclaw in a bored tone.

" I know zou wouldn't do it, but if zou can do zo, pleaze forgive me, Zeraphina," spoke Agapov . 

" As I said before, I can't forgive you for offending me because I am not like others you have come across ." said Seraphina, her nose still in the book. 

Wordlessly and somewhat ashamed, Dimitri Agapov left the Great Hall and subsequently Hogwarts castle. Severus, too, turned to leave the Hall, but when he reached the wooden door of the hall, a voice he could never say no to called for him . He turned to see Seraphina approaching him. She stopped near him . 

" There was no need for that, Professor Snape, " she said panting. 

" No need for what, Miss Barclay ? I didn't do anything . And if you think I asked that dunderhead to apologize to you , yes, I did, but it was in front of you, not before that . He wanted to apologize after listening to your highly commendable speech." replied Batman . 

" You didn't ask him to apologize ?" asked a baffled Seraphina . Severus nodded. 

After another exchange of comments, they both went their own way . 

ልረልክ 

The next morning at the breakfast table, Lucifer slipped out the most obvious news for everyone except Seraphina. 

" Batman applied for Defense Against the Dark Arts position again. " 

" What do you mean by again ?" asked the young witch who was sandwiched between Elenore and George . 

" Every time the new DADA teacher is to be appointed, he always applies, but Dumbledore never lets him take it," said George as he took a bite of his toast. 

" I don't know why Headmaster Dumbledore wouldn’t let him take that position because he has unparalleled skills in the Dark Arts, but I am happy with his decision. 

" Why ? " asked a bored Elenore. 

" Have you ever seen Professor Snape brewing potions? I am lucky to have seen him do so. It's like seeing a mesmerizing pirouette from a trained dancer . Have you ever contemplated his long slender fingers with which he precisely cut the Frankincense and the way his black hair curtains his lean and slender face when he tilts his head to brew . It exhibits a beauty in itself. It's truly blissful... " said the young girl with black glasses in a passionate manner .

Lucifer , Elenore and George stared at their friend with looks of utter dismay and pure surprise on their faces . They had never seen her talking about anything but books with such compassion and depth. The four of them were all lost in their own thoughts - Seraphina was lost in thoughts about the way Batman brewed potions, and the Lovers and George were lost in thoughts about the abrupt divergence in Seraphina's behavior . What the four of them didn't noticed was the black figure of Severus Snape approaching their seats. Very unexpectedly, he stopped near the Ravenclaws and the Hufflepuff. 

Severus had never heard anyone talking about him with such compassion and thoughtfulness . He felt compelled to stop by the table and speak with Seraphina.

George was the first one to come back to reality. He nudged the lovebirds, snapping them back as well. Eventually, the Ravenclaw's praises came to an end, and the enticing voice of Batman fell on their ears . 

" Thank you, Miss Barclay . Count yourself lucky, for I have not applied for the Defense Against the Dark Arts post. I like my potions, and the subtle art of brewing them . " 

Scarlet dusted her cheeks as she turned to face the towering figure of her Professor. 

" You’re welcome , Professor, " Seraphina managed to whisper as she and her friends gazed at the black piece of silken cloak billowing behind Batman . 

ልረልክ

February crept up and the romantic zeal of Valentine's day among students was flying sky high. Out of the blue, many new couples came into existence. Although it was a week until the day came, but the school was going crazy already . Mistletoe hung high on the ceilings all across the school . Although Albus' main aim was Severus and Seraphina to end up under one such mistletoe, but it was far from happening . But thanks to the old wizard many young and romantic couples got a chance to kiss each other in front of the horde of fellow students. Lucifer made Elenore run from beneath one , knowingly . 

While every girl was busy worrying about a Valentine's date for the Valentine's day party organized by Headmaster Dumbledore , Seraphina was busy figuring out why so many people, especially males, were sending her red roses and letters filled with romantic lines from Shakespeare or Victor Hugo and chocolate with Amortentia poured over them . 

For a few days it was common to see Professor Snape and Seraphina receive in one day, as many owls as the total population of the school received in a week. Both were young , single, and had an Order of Merlin, First Class. The difference was the gender of the population from which both received the flowers , chocolates and letters . Sadly, none of those contented Seraphina because every sender sent something for their own purpose. The same was the case for Severus. But Seraphina came up with a innovative way to get rid of the flowers , chocolates ( which had the Amorentia removed from them,) and letters by levitating them in the air with the permission of Headmaster Dumbledore so every couple who was in the need of the flowers or chocolate could take it from there. To top it off, the Ravenclaw didn't even charge anyone for the service she was providing them with. The new initiative was well received by everyone, because no one had to go down to the village and buy a bouquet of red roses or firewiskey chocolates from Hogsmeade , where the shopkeepers increased the price of things due to the holiday . On the second day, all the gifts Seraphina received were taken, leaving behind many heart broken couples and a saddened Seraphina because not everyone received a gift. 

Severus saw the zeal and happiness Seraphina spread by giving away what she received--by being selfless . She could have easily kept it all and could have shown off, but she decided to help everyone celebrate the day of love even when she had no one to celebrate the day with. 

Severus saw Seraphina sadly picking her food , feeling depressed for not being able to help more, even though she wasn't obliged to do so . A playful thought struck the young Potions Master as a wide smile crept up on his thin lips. 

After the meal, Seraphina had a free hour , which she thought was best to spend in the library. While she was on her way, she was approached by Batman . 

" Miss Barclay, I am impressed by your generosity, but how did you come up with this idea ?" asked Severus in an amused tone .

" Oh, it’s just what I would have done with those gifts. At least it is useful for others because they have someone to give them to and share their happiness with.” Replied the young girl . 

" I hope you don't mind if I also contribute to your generous initiative, " proposed the Professor . 

Seraphina gave him a baffled look . 

" Just like you, I have also received many gifts, and similarly to you, they are of no use to me. I would like to help you with your spreading of happiness," explained Severus . 

Abruptly the face of the young witch gleamed with joy as she cried out excitedly. 

" Oh, Professor ! Thank you so much ! You don't know how many more students will be able to gift their Valentine by this ! " 

The young Professor gave the girl a reason to be happy, and it sent a wave of warmth through his body, relaxing his clenched muscles. 

" Although I shouldn't be asking you this, but why do you think so much about them? " asked Batman . 

" You know, Professor Snape ,I never had a Valentine date. Neither had anyone sent me a flower or these types of gifts. Well, that's not what matters; I just feel that love is very important for a person and these young couple give me a ray of that. maybe I will also cross paths with someone destined for me . I know none of these explain why I am doing all of this , it's just that I feel happy for them for having someone to love them in their lives while sadly I don't. I believe there is no bad in spreading happiness," said Seraphina with a little chuckle. 

Severus beheld the girl. He felt his muscles clenching again. Seraphina had so many hopes for the future and her destiny. What would she do when she found out that the one destined for her was her Professor, Severus Snape ? He didn't know what was he supposed to feel, so he pushed his feelings aside and helped Seraphina hang the Valentine's gift mid - air. 

The next day, both Seraphina and Severus hung their gifts in the Great Hall together, and occasionally Albus and Minerva, who happen to be passing by, gave the pair a mirthful smirk , which the young Ravenclaw didn't understand, and hence, she gave them her warm and welcoming smile. 

Finally, Valentine's Day arrived. Headmaster Dumbledore declared that classes weren't compulsory that day , so the students and the teachers were free to not attend or not conduct any classes. 

That morning, among the bunches of red roses, another bouquet of flowers fell into Seraphina’s lap, delivered by a brown barn owl . The roses in that bouquet were unnaturally beautiful and breathtaking , the raven color of the black, soft petals faded to blue as it reached it's end. The dew was still present on the mesmerizing flowers , and a fresh smell entered Seraphina's nostrils as she gazed at the bouquet, completely awestruck by it's beauty . It had a small note attached to it , which read - 

For someone who is my sunshine of hope . 

The Half - Blood Prince 

After skimming the note Several times , soon the awestruck look faded and a austere look came over her delicate features. She enquired about the Half - Blood Prince to the lovebirds, but no one knew who he was, and the adolescent Ravenclaw also confirmed that she knew no one with such a nickname. So, who was the Half - Blood Prince? 

That morning, the duo of the Ravenclaw Prefect and Head of Slytherin House hung their gifts and the day started. But Seraphina kept back the bouquet of black flowers given to her by the Prince , not because they were beautiful, but because the Prince fascinated her, and he also seemed genuine . 

While most of the students ditched the plan to attend classes , not even Saint Valentine could stop the bookworm from attending her class . Although many Professor's cancelled their classes, Severus, by no means was cancelling his, no matter whether a single student came or not.

Seraphina was carrying a bouquet of blood-red roses with her on her way to the only class which had not been cancelled by its Professor that day - Potions . On her way to the Dungeons, she stumbled upon the janitor of school - Argus Filch. The grumpy old man shouted at her for her clumsiness and he made a mean remark about her Merlin award . She never had said or done anything to upset him, but his nasty behavior was universal towards everyone . The Ravenclaw simply gave him a warm smile, pulled out a rose from her bouquet, and extended it towards the man standing in front of her. 

" Happy Valentine's Day, Mr. Filch, " said Seraphina in a cheerful tone. " No need to worry, it's not a prank, " she added . 

Nonetheless, Argus took the rose hesitantly from the girl, wordlessly. The witch walked past him. 

Down in the Dungeon classroom, Severus sat at his desk waiting for the few students he was expecting that day . Two Hufflepuffs entered , subsequently the Ravenclaw he was longing to see entered. Surprisingly, her nose wasn't buried in some book by a Muggle when she entered the room. Today, the book was pressed under her arms and an alluring bouquet took it's place . After greeting her Professor, she walked towards the two Hufflepuffs and yet again she pulled out two roses and gave each of them one . 

Severus observed her closely, but didn't say anything. He was amused by the new ideas the girl came up with constantly . 

After a lecture on Confusing Concoction, the class was dismissed, and the Witch was asked to stay back , and so she did. 

" Now, what is it that you believe giving a rose means, Miss Barclay?" asked the young Professor . 

The adolescent girl chuckled softly before answering .

" It's no belief, Professor Snape. I just give roses to people who didn't received any from anyone. It feels nice to have at least one rose on a day like this," said Seraphina .

" You Ravenclaw's are really hard for me to understand, Miss Barclay," commented the Dungeon Master with a sly smirk . The girl didn't reply but chuckled further . 

" Ok, the truth is that I never received any flowers in my life, so I just thought, why shouldn't I be the one to give roses and spread a smile on others faces? It makes my day," added the witch with a warm smile . 

" So, if I assume correctly, you do all this because no one did it for you? Don't get me wrong here, but you are just sixteen. Aren't you being too sentimental at such a young age , Miss Barclay?" said Severus .

" Now it all depends upon your beliefs , Professor . And I believe there are two types of people in this world. The first consists of the people who think that if nothing good happened to them, then everyone in this world is cruel and the whole world is worth hating , while the second category consists of people who say that if something good didn't happened to me, I will take the initiative to spread happiness among as many people as I can anyway. Proudly, I belong to the second part of population . That is why I do all this, even when I gotten one before now," explained the young girl in a intellectual tone. 

Severus gazed at the girl with a great deal of admiration . It took a great deal of courage to spread happiness, and Seraphina inhibited such courage , and at such a tender age . In simple words, the girl was impressive and admirable in every aspect possible. 

Wordlessly, the girl walked out of the class. Severus noticed a blood-red rose on the bench where she had sat. Picking up the rose in his slender fingers, a genuine smile danced on his lips . Why was it so impossible to understand the girl but so easy to accept her ?

ልረልክ

The evening of the fourteenth of February had an air of romance swirling around everyone. Everyone headed towards the Great Hall , clad in red. Seraphina also joined the red horde of students. She kept her robes placid and intentionally unattractive so that no male would ask her out . The Ravenclaw wore a pair of Muggle jeans with a red, silk shirt and a black sweater hung over her shoulders. Her dark blue sports shoes very unconventionally complimented her style for the evening . 

As she approached the door of the Great Hall, she noticed George waiting there with a girl in the same year as him . The Hufflepuff wore a red suit-jacket with a pair of formal pants and a matching pair of shoes. Soon the lovebirds also showed their faces, and the group entered the Hall, which was highly decorated in the most fashionable way possible . Before the fun would have started for Seraphina, Professor McGonagall and Professor Flitwick pulled her apart from her friends and dragged her outside the Great Hall. 

" What is it that you are wearing, Miss Barclay ," cried the old witch in horror . 

" Clothes, " replied the young witch in a uncertain voice. 

" It's the Valentine's Day party, Seraphina. Why aren't you wearing a dress or someone like that? " the goblin broke in .

" What is so unacceptable in this Professor ?" asked the adolescent girl , scanning herself hesitantly. 

" There is nothing unacceptable in your outfit, but have you seen everyone else? They are dressed up so nicely. You shouldn't constrain yourself from enjoying your life because of the few dunderheads who come into it, Seraphina, " said Minerva calmly. 

" Ma'am it’s nothing like that. I just don't have anything else to wear, and what's so bad in wearing something that I like? If I don't want to dress up, I simply won't do it even if everyone is doing it, " said the adolescent girl ." I hope you enjoy your evening, " she added as she walked back into the Hall. 

Severus Snape wasn't interested in dressing himself in red robes , so he wore his usual black.. While walking past his desk, he noticed the rose Seraphina had left for him, and the same genuine smile crept on his face so he decided to take the rose with him.. 

Up in the Great Hall , which was packed with students, he made his way towards his colleagues , who similar to the others, were draped in red . 

" Oh, Severus you're here ! What is this now?" asked an irritated Minerva .

Severus didn't have a single clue why Minerva was complaining about . 

" You know, Seraphina and you will make a nice couple. You both are equally stubborn. You didn't wear something red, and she didn't wear a dress," said Albus in an amused tone. Scarlet dusted the young Professor's cheek at the assertion of the old wizard. 

" I beg your pardon, but that's a gravely inappropriate thing to be said, Albus and Minerva. I think it's Miss Barclay's choice to wear anything she wants," said the young man .  
“ We have no problem with her robes, she always look elegant and smart no matter whatever she wears . The problem is the hesitation she is going through , she feels looking attractive, which she is , will attract some unwelcomed attention to her . She is constricting herself from living a life because of one bad experiences she had to go through . I don’t blame her but she can’t live a life with this thinking .” explained Minerva .

Severus silently listened to the old witch , although he didn’t wanted to agree but the truth can never be denied , so he scanned the Hall for the young witch , he was curious to know what the girl was wearing on romantic evening like this. He saw her plain robes , but unlike Minerva he was impressed by the elegance she carried with herself . Although she didn’t wore a red dress like this other, despite that fact she looked distinguishable and lovely . Instead of dancing, she quietly sat in the corner of the Hall with a glass of butter beer in hand. Her head was hunched over a small piece of parchment that she was holding. He wanted to go and talk to her, but he didn't want to give Albus and Minerva more reasons to laugh at him and Seraphina. 

Blodwyn Bludd was entertaining the population by playing many Wizard, and even Muggle, songs. Numerous boys dedicated uncountable songs to their Valentine's dates. The young Ravenclaw, too, received many dedications from boys who were desperate to have her as their Valentine, but Seraphina didn't paid them much attention. The band themselves dedicated to her the Muggle song ' Sending All My Love ' . 

" Now, it's time for another dedication for our Merlin awardee - Seraphina Barclay, " declared the lead singer who had pearl-grey eyes with a slim face, and a devilish smile. " It's from someone called TH-BP… uncommon name, though . Here it comes for you, my girl - ' Photograph, '" he added .

Seraphina had never heard that name before. Who was he ? She scanned the horde only to find everyone with the same expression of bafflement on their face . The soul searching song filled the Great Hall, and everyone fell silent. The couple's caught hold of each other and started swirling in slow dance while the Ravenclaw witch again gazed at the parchment she had received with th alluring bouquet that morning . Abruptly, her raven eyes widened as she realized that THBP was the short form of The Half - Blood Prince . Who was this Prince ? After the sudden realization, she ran towards the stage where the vampire band was performing, but they refused to tell her the identity of the dedicator . 

Eventually she left the Hall. Severus saw her impulsively running through the Hall and then sadly leaving it without informing her friends . It didn't feel right to him, so he decided to talk to her about it. 

Not a single soul was outside the Hall when such a happening party was going on inside, so it made it easy for Severus to find the girl and talk to her in solitude. As he had expected it was easy to find because she was out on the school grounds sitting on the ground, reading a book. 

" I assume you like leaving parties and reading books instead, " said Batman in an amused tone .

Seraphina raised her head, but her delicate face was so expressionless it looked as if it was carved out of stone . 

" Do you know anyone who is called The Half - Blood Prince , or anyone with that nickname ?" asked the girl sitting on the grassy ground. She herself didn't realized what she was saying because of being so deep in her thoughts Before Severus could have said anything Dumbledore entered, his chuckle interrupted the conversation which didn’t even got a chance to get started .

" I assume you two are having a nice Valentine's Day," said the Wizard with a chuckle as his eyes twinkled. Severus gave him a death stare. He hated it when Albus dragged Seraphina into his jokes . 

Headmaster Dumbledore dragged the two back to the Great Hall . While the girl tried vainly to enjoy herself , Severus joined his colleagues who were having a hearty laugh on a topic unknown to him. 

As the two Wizards returned back to their colleagues who all had a mirthful visage casted on their faces . 

“ I am impressed by initiative Severus .” commented Filius .  
“ Yes at last you understood the importance of your and Seraphina’s relations .” added Minerva .

" What are you all talking about ?" questioned the Potions Master in an impatient tone .

" This morning, Seraphina received a bouquet of black and blue roses which she kept. Those were signed by the name The Half - Blood Prince," explained Flitwick with a playful smile on his small face . 

" I sent her those flowers because she never received one from a genuine person . But that by no means signifies that I have crossed any limits I am abide to follow and those that Miss Barclay have constricted . It was plainly an act of reciprocal of the happiness she had gifted me unknowingly .So please stop fantasizing ." bellowed the young Professor . 

" Severus , she is your life now. You can't let her go without even trying . She likes you, too, and who knows maybe she will be ready to be with you if she sees you have a heart that know how to love? " said Albus in an austere voice.  
“ But who dedicated her that song ?” asked Severus in a austere tone .

“ It was me .” accepted the small Wizard in a defeated voice .  
The young man didn't uttered a single word. It felt like he had lost his voice. He needed to tell the girl all this, but he found himself with the loss of courage to do so. The thing was, these acts of his colleagues can only bothering the admirable witch instead of charming her. 

" Listen Albus, Minerva, Filius, and Hagrid, please don't do such things . It bothers her more than amuses her. Please don't try to spark things up between us . I request to let her complete school and then tell her all this . Whatever her decision would be, I will support it, and so will you all , promise me that . I don't want to force her to accept a man like me when she could have someone so much better than me in her life, " said Severus in a firm tone . 

" But Severus..." started Albus .

" No Albus. Just a simple no. I respect her, and yes, I do admire her, but no , I can't ask her to forget her own life for my sake . I am not the most generous person in this world, but at least I can't be so cruel as to ask such a lovely girl like Seraphina for, such favor . I don't have the courage to do so," Severus cut off Albus before he could protest. 

Reluctantly, the four Professors agreed, but no one was happy with the grave decision that the young man had taken just for the sake of the girl he had imprinted upon . 

How will these two stubborn , determined, and unique Wizards fall in love with each other if they both are so against love? Albus sighed at the thought that erupted in his mind.


	16. Chapter - 16 Mirror of Erised

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> How will Seraphina react on knowing she had been imprinted by the formidable Professor Snape ?

The snow melted away from over the Hogwarts castle as the third month of the year approached. Nothing much changed for Seraphina ever since the last episode of Valentine's day , but there was still one question left unanswered to the Ravenclaw - the identity of The Half - Blood Prince . The Prince didn't make any other moves after the black roses, which bothered and relieved the witch at the same time. She felt relaxed on knowing the fact that he wasn't interested in her anymore, but what bothered her was the realization that she would not get a chance to know who The Half - Blood Prince was . Severus, on the other hand, was unaware of the fact that the girl felt fascinated by his nickname. He regretted his decision of sending her his decreased mother's favorite flowers . 

Although Albus , Minerva , Filius, and Hagrid had acted as if they agreed with Severus' decision of not manipulating Seraphina into accepting a man 14 years older than she , secretly they all prayed to Merlin , that Seraphina would accept this cumbersome relationship . 

Headmaster Dumbledore appointed a new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher named Christopher Smith Jr . Smith was a fine man of 40 with a medium frame, but there was nothing distinguishable in his personality. Miss Hudson - the History of Magic teacher , despite that fact, showed a great deal of interest in him . Soon, it became normal to observe the duo strolling together or sitting next to each other in the Great Hall , having deep and lengthy conversations . 

Seraphina felt happy for the new pair. Only a little fraction of the reason for her merriment was Miss Hudson's new-found exhilaration , mostly she was contented to see that now at least the new teacher wouldn't mind giving her any special attention .

Severus, on the other hand, didn’t mind the presence of the new teacher because his mind was already preoccupied with the thought of the Ravenclaw's reaction on knowing about the Curse of Forbidden Love . The young Professor worried that he might lose the most wonderful person in his life, but he didn't posses the courage to lie to her. Her dusky eyes always held a look of sadness in them .Warmth , mysteriousness , sadness and curiosity always played a playfully fluid dance in those eyes . It was impossible for the Potions Master to lie when she looked at him with those truth seeking orbs. It felt to him like he was betraying himself by lying to the girl who deserved all the happiness the world could grace her with . At first, the man who took down the Dark Lord was scared to like Seraphina, but now he was scared to cause her pain and suffering because he had started to like , admire, and adore her .

ልረልክ

It was the first day of March. After attending all her lectures the young witch didn't go to the library like she usually did in her normal routine. Instead, she walked down the corridor leading her towards the gargoyle of the Headmaster's office on the seventh floor of the castle . 

Severus made his way towards Albus' office as well. He needed to talk to the old wizard about how they would tell Seraphina about the imprinting curse when his eyes fell on her delicate figure descending the staircase of the Gargoyle , lost in her own thoughts. She passed him without even noticing his presence . Severus hurried into the office without even bothering to ask for the Headmaster's permission . 

" What happened to Miss Barclay ? " asked Severus at once. 

" I thought we weren't allowed to intrude in her personal affairs ." commented Albus in a mirthful tone .

" Oh Merlin ! For once can you please keep your sarcastic attitude out of this, and tell me what happened to her. She looked lost," said the young Wizard impatiently. 

" Nothing much to worry about, my dear friend. She just came to ask for my permission to leave the castle this evening," said Albus as if stating the obvious. 

" And you gave a student - especially Seraphina , the permission to leave the castle?! She is a Merlin awardee for God's sake , Albus ! Didn't you see her? She looked so lost. I doubt you should have let her leave the vicinity of the castle when you know the remaining Death Eaters might be looking for her. They are thirsty for her blood," spat Severus in a mixed expression of anger and concern. 

Albus silently listened to what the young Professor said. He was amused by the perturb he was exhibiting towards the girl .

" I don't remember clearly when you showed this amount of care for anyone , Severus . Does that indicate anything significant?" came a cunning reply from behind the desk . " And besides that, you needn't worry about Seraphina. She is very capable of handling her emotions and herself very prudently, " he added .

" Where has she gone?" asked Severus, ignoring the assertion put forward by the Headmaster. 

" I promised Miss Barclay to not to tell anyone where she is going. It's something personal ." said Albus calmly. 

" I have every right to know where has she gone . " said the Dungeon master. " Ok, listen Albus , although you are right that I have no right to ask you this, but please tell me where has she gone because my heart doesn’t believe that she is in the frame of mind to handle herself," he added. 

" Greenhaven Woodland Church, " said the man with crescent moon glasses. 

" But..." the word left Severus' thin lips, but he was cut off by Albus before he could speak any further .

" Please forgive me , my dear Severus, but I cannot tell you the reason because there are some promises I am bound by," explained Albus .

Severus left the office at once without another word. His long legs carrying him as quickly as they could , towards the black entrance gate of the castle . Outside the black iron gate he didn't find Seraphina as he has expected . The raven yew-wood wand tightly gripped in his lean fingers , his mind concentrated on the location where the witch has went . Soon a opaque sphere of black mist encompassed his black figure, and eventually he felt his body being pushed through a tight and narrow rubber tube. The years of Apparating made him immune to the ill effects of the magical way of traveling long distance in no time . He didn't feel anything more than a tingle in his gut, and in a split second, that was gone too . 

Severus appeared on a cement pavement. Subsequently, he realized he landed on the pavement of a Muggle street. On his right sat a line of seventeenth century two-story buildings with numerous shops on the lower floors . On his left was a large field with a building standing by itself. Up high there was the purple-gray spire of a church and the irregular form of an old building. The building before him was beautiful, old stone and stained glass . Besides the lonely building there was nothing but a huge field. 

The Muggles walking down the street eyed him suspiciously because of the Wizarding robes he wore . He scanned the street for a barren or isolated alley, and successfully found one close to his right. Briskly, he entered the dark alley and pulled out his raven wand. With a flick , a downpour of bright golden light encircled him, and the next moment the frock coat was transfigured into a long overcoat, and his cloak was refashioned into a jet-black scarf loosely wrapped around his neck. He cautiously left his trousers and shoes the way they were . 

Severus paced out of the dark alley he was standing in , noticing the windy weather outside the eerie alley. As the young Professor walked towards the grandiose iron gate of the church , his black orbs fell on a figure known to him. He saw Seraphina descending down the staircase of a flower shop with a beautiful bouquet of white tulips held in her delicate hands. She still looked lost and sad to him . The Ravenclaw meandered towards the church with a lost look on her face. Severus didn't want to stalk the witch, but the curiosity of knowing what a young girl such as herself was doing in a church filled him, and he was certain that only here he would get the answer to his question of why she was sad. Reluctantly he followed . 

Seraphina didn't walk on the sandstone path laid past the grass of the grounds , directing towards the church building. Instead, she ambled towards the multitudinous graves that stood erected on the field. Eventually she reached her destination, as she belayed near one such stone grave, placing the white tulips next to another bouquet of white flowers in front of the erected stone. She kneeled on the ground then folded her hands in front of her chest and intertwining her thin fingers. After muttering something under her breath, she stood back up . 

Severus contemplated her every move from a distance, but an urge to go near her was growing inside him. His attempts to suppress it had penurious results . So, he walked up to the position to be within earshot. Now he could hear what she said without attracting any attention to himself. 

" How are you, Mum " the voice of Seraphina erupted out of the blue . Her voice was filled with compassion and warmth as always . " I miss you. Even Daniel misses you . You know the Ministry awarded me an Order of Merlin , First Class, but I still don't know if I deserve that . I went to Hogwarts as you asked me to, and thanks for making me go to that amazing place. I don't know if I would have liked it at Beauxbatons. I surely wouldn't have found friends like Luc, Eley and George there . Well, at last I met Professor Snape in person , but I still don't know why you didn't let me meet him earlier . Well let’s put that aside , I want to tell him that I am luckiest girl on this Earth, Mum. You know who took me to the Yule Ball? Well, it was Professor Snape," said the girl with a chortle . 

" Mom, although I am not upset with you for leaving me so soon, was it necessary to leave your little Seraphina alone all by herself? Of course as you always said, everyone has their own angels in life. Daniel is mine. " The witch sniffed as she unsuccessfully tried to hold back the tears from falling . 

" Why did you leave me? First Dad, then you. Why ? Am I so bad? I don't know how I will be able to keep myself sane if all these things keep happening to me . " The words left her lips in no more than a whisper as she wept , but soon she composed herself and wiped the tears from her cheeks .

"Never mind. I am such a crybaby at times . Well, thank you for being such an amazing mother . I love you, " the witch told her as she stood there rooted in place for a few moments before walking off towards the longevous church . 

Severus watched the girl with a lot of uncertainty. He didn't know why he hadn’t gone to console her when she cried in front of that grave . Maybe, deep inside his heart he knew that his presence would only constrict the pain Seraphina was letting out . 

Habitually, everyone saw Seraphina as the girl who never suffered, and the girl for whom life was far more easy than others, but in actuality, the girl had gone through as much suffering as any other person had gone through. Maybe even more. The only difference was that others mourned publicly over their misery so the world knew theirs, but this girl kept the distress to herself and tried to spread as much happiness as she could . Severus felt it right to let the Ravenclaw let out her pain .

The lovely witch was in no condition to notice the presence of any living being, especially her formidable Professor, even more so when he was wearing Muggle clothes , so she walked past him without realizing who he was . She briskly strolled up to the church and walked into the old structure. Again, Severus hesitated to follow her up, but something inside him forced him to against his will. Moving into the passage, he wondered whether this quiet air, filled with the scent of incense , candles, and the more solidly anglican smell of musty prayer books, metal polish and flowers and the brightly lit passage with it's floor of encaustic tiles and its white-painted walls ran the whole west end of the church. 

As the Dungeon Master's eyes fell on the far end of the praying hall of the church, he saw no one except the fragile figure of Seraphina kneeling on the step near the large statue of the Lord Jesus hung by a wooden cross . Something invisible was pushing him towards the girl as he reluctantly took every step towards her. Before he could have realized it, he was standing near the praying figure of the young witch. 

" God won't judge you no matter what you ask him for , my child," a voice whispered in his ears as he turned to face a middle-aged man in black robes . 

" But I don't know what to pray for, " replied the young Wizard in whispers . 

" So, just thank God for all he has graced you with, " whispered the priest and strolled away as mysteriously as he appeared. 

Severus didn't kneel down to pray. He wasn't sure what he would ask thanks for. Lily had chosen James above him , his parents had died before he had even turned old enough to sustain himself ,then the curse by Lord Voldemort had caused him to imprint upon Seraphina, whom he didn't deserve . 

But he was thankful to Him for sending friends like Minerva, Albus , Filius, and Hagrid into his life, and Seraphina was probably the best thing that had happened to him . The Professor wordlessly sat on the rear wooden bench. He didn't know what he was supposed to do next. He didn't want to stalk the Ravenclaw witch anymore, but he wasn't sure whether she should be left on her own or not, because he still feared the Death Eaters would attack her . 

" Oh, Professor Snape ! I didn't knew you were here, too," a soft , warm voice fell on his ears, tugging him out of his ocean of thoughts. He raised his head to see Seraphina standing near , her eyes puffy and her cheeks stained from tears . 

" You aren't the only one who has permission to leave the castle , Miss Barclay, " he replied calmly .

" Well, I know it's very impolite to ask, but what are doing here - in a church ?" asked the witch with a hesitant tone. 

" Student’s safety is Hogwarts first concern , Miss Barclay . You may not care for your safety and status , but it might have escaped your notice that there are people who care for you and your feelings ," said Batman . " But I should be the one to ask what are you doing here , Miss Barclay?" questioned Severus. 

" I...I...I...just came... for some... enlightenment, " she stuttered .

" And what was your enlightenment? " he questioned. " Lying is something you perform very poorly," he added without giving her a chance to answer. 

A long pause of silence came over them. It was Severus who broke the fragile silence with his cavernous voice. 

" I hope you have paid your homage to your mother ." 

The girl wordlessly nodded in her reply . 

" What did you asked God for ?" 

" Nothing. I just thanked him for everything.” She eyed him speculatively. “So, you mean to say that Headmaster Dumbledore sent you to keep an eye on me. " said the adolescent witch without looking at him . 

“ Miss Barclay, I know some matters are personal and require your and only your presence there, but I must express my disappointment on you . A student such as yourself isn’t expected to act so ignorantly when you know there are Death Eaters who want to see you beheaded for getting 11 of their members arrested . And I doubt you want another photograph of yours on the front page of the Daily Prophet with another silly made up faux story,” said the Potions Master with a visibly disappointed look on his slender , pale face . He stood up from the wooden bench to face the young witch.   
“ I doubt I need any security , sir . I am capable enough to keep myself safe from any threat, “ said the witch sternly . “ But why would the Daily Prophet be stalking me ?” she asked with an astounded look on her face . 

" I think you should say yes," another voice made itself heard. Severus recognized it as the voice of the priest who suggested him to pray earlier. The duo turned to face the old man mirthfully smiling at them . 

" May I beg your pardon, Father, " said Seraphina. 

" It's rare to see a couple proposing in church , my child. I think you should say yes to the young man," declared the priest as he walked up towards the pair . Seraphina turned as red as she could get. The comment was awkwardly funny and utterly embarrassing . 

“ I am speechless at your interpretation, Father. Forgive me for I need to excuse myself from the company of you gentlemen,” exclaimed Seraphina hurriedly as she paced towards the large door which had been wide open from which streamed the fading sunlight of the sunset. 

" Ah... Father...it is nothing like that . I...we...there is nothing like that between us, " Severus muttered quietly.

" Lord, forgive me ! I just misinterpreted the whole scene . Forgive me, my child, " pleaded the priest . " Please ask for her forgiveness on my behalf, young man," he added as he turned to walk away. 

Severus stood there for a few moments, dumbstruck by the comment of the priest but soon he followed Seraphina's path and exited the old structure. He saw the young girl standing near the iron gate all by herself, her face was still red from embarrassment . 

" He said sorry to you , Miss Barclay, " said Severus as he approached the girl . 

The Ravenclaw gave him a long look. Her visage was stony. Abruptly she broke into fits of embarrassed laughter. Her Professor joined in, but they both didn't uttered a single word about the incident. Subsequently, the Potions Master composed himself and extended his hands towards her which received him a look of bafflement from the laughing girl. 

" We need to Apparate back to the castle , Miss Barclay, " he declared solemnly. 

Seraphina too, composed herself and held her Professor's hand delicately. Soon the mist formed, and in the blink of an eye, they were at the iron gates of Hogwarts castle . Severus narrowly eyed his companion who had a sick look on her face. 

" Are you okay, Miss Barclay ?" inquired Batman . 

" I think so, " replied the witch .

Seraphina was lucky that this time Apparating hadn’t made her vomit. She felt relaxed after a few minutes of nausea . Once inside the castle, they both parted ways with an unspoken promise to keep the priest's comment a secret .

While Severus was on his way to the Dungeons, he saw Albus climbing the stairs directing towards the Dungeon . His old face gleamed at the sight of his young colleague .

" Oh, Severus, did you find out why Seraphina went to the graveyard? " asked the old wizard. 

" I am sorry Albus, but I am not a stalker " spat the young man . 

" Then why are you wearing Muggle clothes, my dear Severus? " added Albus cunningly. 

Severus realized too late that he was still wearing those transfigured clothes . 

" Okay, I went after her , but it was just for her safety. My heart wasn't convinced that she would be all right by herself, " he replied defeatedly . 

" Well my plan worked well , I assume," declared Albus with a mirthful smirk. 

He knew Severus would have followed up with a question so he continued without giving the young Wizard a chance to speak.

" I am as much concerned about her safety as you are . So, I just lied to you about not knowing her intentions. I was sure that you would have gone after her and hence, both my purpose were served . I ensured that she was safe with you, and you got yet another chance to know who Seraphina really is, " he added. 

Severus was mute for a brief moment .

" Why is it that you feel that you know what is best for everyone , Albus? What was the need to lie to me? You could have asked me to follow her directly; I would have never said no to you," fumed the Dungeon Master. 

" She would have never agreed to the proposal of going to her mother's grave under a teacher's surveillance , Severus . And you would have never been able to see her real pain if she would have had the knowledge of your presence," replied the Wizard with the crescent moon glasses. 

Severus acknowledged the fact that every word he spoke was right, but still a small part of his heart was still annoyed by Albus' acts. 

" You shouldn't have told her that the priest asked for her forgiveness, " the fading voice of Albus fell on his ears . 

" How did you know about that, Albus ?" questioned the young man as he turned towards the robes that were swaying behind the old Wizard. " Please tell me you weren't behind that also?" he pleaded. 

" Listen, Severus, I promised you I would do whatever I could to spark things between you two, and that was all that I did there. Why don't you understand that you two look adorable together?" said the old wizard. 

" We talked about it Albus: nothing before she graduates from here, " added Severus with the slightest hint of frustrated in his tone. 

Neither of them uttered another syllable, and both went on their way because both knew it was an endless and futile debate. 

ልረልክ 

The promise was sustained faithfully by the Ravenclaw Prefect and the Dungeon Master. The days passed by like the bristling of leaves and soon only one night was left before Seraphina's birthday, but little did the adolescent girl know that the night would change her life forever. The witch was ignorant to the fact that her already topsy – turvy life would get shattered in a split second, but she would also find the one who would help her glue back every part .

On the night of the 9th of March, the young witch was on her way to the fourth floor corridor of the west wing as a part of her patrolling duty . Her headphones were tucked into her ears as she strolled down the corridor humming the lyrics of the songs playing on her iPod . While striding along leisurely, her eyes fell upon the door of a classroom that was half open. She peeked in to ensure that it was empty but to her surprise inside the empty classroom was standing Batman in front of a very large mirror . His face was fixed at the reflection in the mirror. He raised his left hand and caressed the reflecting glass as if he was caressing a person. His slender, pale face had a saddened expression on it. 

Why was Batman sad to see his own reflection ? Many more questions erupted in Seraphina's mind. She tried to figure out the reason for his distress . The picturesque memory of the page of a book – “ Magical Creations “ came to mind. She remembered reading from the book in the Restricted Section of the library , about a mirror showing the person his greatest fears . The thought stuck her that it might be the same mirror, but still uncertainty overshadowed her . 

Finally, she decided to do what she hated to. She would be entering Batman's mind to see what was the reflection showing him . Seraphina relaxed her mind, and in no time her raven orbs started fading, and the crystal blue color took their place. Her whole body was fading and the sight looked like she was being sucked into oblivion. Everything around her turned shiny white , then all of a sudden, everything surrounding her started to turn misty and dark. She was inside Batman's brain now . In front of her was the same room she was peering into previously, but now she was standing nowhere near the door. Instead, she was standing near the stained window of the barren classroom. in front of her stood the misty figure of Professor Snape. A sad feeling came over her out of the blue - she was feeling what her Professor was feeling right now .

Pushing the distressed feeling aside, the girl stepped towards the mirror, but the sight which greeted her left her in a state of utter shock . In the reflection of the mirror, Professor Snape wasn’t alone, but a girl stood there in front of him. His robes were also different from what he was actually wearing . The image in front of her wasn't stationary , neither was it obeying any laws of reflection the young Ravenclaw had studied about. On the contrary, the image in the mirror showed a whole other scene – a scene one could fantasize about . 

Batman's reflection was wearing a white silk shirt and black trousers, while the girl standing in front of her just had a black silk bedsheet loosely draped around her rather skinny form. The sheet covering her was so loosely draped around her breast that the silk dropped low near her back , showing her attractive and aesthetic back on exposition. Batman’s eyes were inundated with compassion . Eventually, the tall figure of Batman wrapped his muscular arms around the delicate figure of the girl, pulling her closer to himself , his hands caressing the soft waist of the female. Then he leaned in so that his lips was caressing the girl's. The girl draped in black silk reciprocated his caress. In a delicate manner, the lady in black raised her hand and pulled her fingers slowly through Professor Snape’s jet black hair, and they both shared a passionate kiss . Seraphina felt awkward entering her teacher's mind and seeing such a personal and vulnerable memory of his, making her regret her decision , so, she turned her back towards the mirror and focused her mind to prepare herself to retreat from his mind when a very known and similar voice fell on her ears. It sent goosebumps down her body . 

" I love you , Severus," the possessor of the voice said breathlessly. The voice seemed unnaturally similar to her own - for once it felt to the adolescent witch as if it was her own voice, but she also knew it was impossible so she turned back to face the large mirror, and what she saw anaesthetized her mind . 

For the first time ever since she had entered the teacher’s brain did she intimately espied the features of the girl . Her hair was as black as the most pure of velvety nights with a slight wave at the tail end falling on her shoulders. A pair of black glasses was placed on the top of her nose , the short round face resembled her own was outlined by the effervescent moonlight falling into the room from the stained glass . Although it was impossible to believe, the reflection was unquestionably hers own . 

" I love you too , Seraphina, " the deeply enticing voice of Severus Snape made itself clear. 

The couple was still inches from each other . Professor Snape couldn’t see something like this in the mirror . It wasn’t possible. He didn’t like her - no he couldn’t like her. Uncountable similar thoughts raced through her mind as she hastily escaped Batman's brain . Once she was not in the world of his memories , she ran. She ran as if Lord Voldemort himself was after her life, and she was obliged to run for her life like a poltroon , instead of dying like the brave warrior she was. It felt to her as if she heard a fading sound of her Professor calling her from behind, but she had lost the courage to face the man she had admired her whole life. 

He had promised that he would never hurt her, but his desire to kiss her – a 16 year old school girl , narrated a different story . Seraphina ran outside the castle straight into the dark , menacingly eerie forbidden forest . The memories from a few days prior flashed in front of her. Something very similar to this had happened with her. Lockhart - a teacher--confessed his love for her, and now another Professor was seeing a reflection of himself kissing her . The witch's brain was numbing at an alarming rate, but she couldn't afford to let the emotions take over her mind. She needed to compose herself and ready herself for whatever unknown would come in her path . The Prefect decided to report this incident straight to Headmaster Dumbledore, but before knocking on the door of the Headmaster’s office she needed to quell the volcano of emotions that had erupted inside her . 

Diverting her mind away from Professor Snape was important. His face, which was constantly coming in front of her eyes , was sending a throbbing pain down her chest. How could the man she assumed to be the most noble man she could have crossed paths with , think like that of her? Why was she the only one men found worthy of their attention and lust? There was nothing special about her; neither did she possess a beautiful face, nor was she the most attractive girl in the whole school. Her dressing sense was more elegant than bold. First Noah , then Lockhart and now Professor Snape. The last one was not even someone the young witch had thought would do something like this to her . Why was life being so cruel to her? Seraphina feared she would not be able to keep herself composed any further now that the same thing was happening to her the third time .

Seraphina was too late to realize that her aimless sprinting brought her to the middle of the menacingly dark forest. She was surrounded by a layer of thick forest filled with treacherous and savage creatures on all sides . She paled as if she'd been painted with white-wash. Even her lips were barely there. Then with one step backwards, she crumpled like a puppet suddenly released of their strings on the dirt covered ground .

ልረልክ

The Mirror of Erised was a creation of Wizards that showed you your greatest desire . The Mirror of Erised was an ancient, ornate mirror. It had clawed feet and a gold frame inscribed with the phrase “ Erised stra ehru oyt ube cafru oyt on wohsi.” The mirror showed the most desperate desire of a person’s heart; a vision that has been known to drive men mad. Mad wasn’t the most appropriate word, but the mirror did give him the only ray of hope he had in his darkened world – Seraphina.

Severus was making rounds when he saw the poltergeist - Peeves bursting out of one classroom with tears falling from the eyes . The sight was rare. Peeves was usually the creature that caused others to cry, but seeing the Poltergeist cry made the young man curious to know what caused him to shed it's tears. He entered the classroom which had a large mirror kept in its center . He knew about the Magical phenomena which caused many great Wizards and Witches to destroy themselves because they had lost the will to live once they had tasted the fantasy of living in their dreams . 

But what was his own deepest desire ? The question intrigued him. He walked up to the mirror to get his answer , but what the reflection displayed saddened him . It wasn't a lie that his greatest desire was Seraphina's affection, but he knew that was far from happening. Why would she choose him over the charismatic boys out there who would give everything to have her as their girlfriend . But the reflection consoled him at the same time. Maybe not in the real world, but at least in the world of the Enchanted mirror he would be graced with her . 

The whole world went black for Severus as his eyes fell on Seraphina’s figure standing near the half-open door of the barren classroom , her eyes unnaturally crystalline blue instead of the natural raven color of it. He realized what was going on. Seraphina had entered his mind and had seen what the Mirror of Erised had shown him--his greatest desire was Seraphina's affection and acceptance . Seraphina's eyes returned to their authentic dark color and in the blink of an eye she was running away from him. He called for her to tell her the truth, but she was gone. Severus wanted to follow, but his body wasn't coordinating with the mind . Everything collapsed in front him. He felt cold as fear augmented inside of him. He could see the clear vision of Seraphina fixing him with a loathing look and then, out of blue, she disappeared, leaving his world barren and dark .

The young Professor stood still for God knows how long. It felt to him like he was losing the will to live. He was supposed to love Seraphina for his entire life. From the beginning it had hardly a chance of working out, but now it was impossible , seeing that the lovely witch would never accept him . The sadness that had come over him was sending a stinging pain down his chest as if he was being repeatedly stabbed by a sharp dagger . 

Suddenly the sound of wing flattering tugged him out if his deep thoughts. The sound came from an owl hovering above his head. The brown owl dropped a piece of parchment near him and flew away . Severus picked up the parchment. It was from Albus, and it read - 

Severus I want you in my office this very instant. We need to tell Seraphina everything . 

Albus 

The stinging pain in his chest proliferated as he read the last line of the note , but he knew it was important to do so now that Seraphina has seen something she should have known a lot earlier. 

Sighing heavily, he made his way towards the office of Headmaster Dumbledore on the seventh floor . Before knocking at the door of the office he hesitated, but neither could he change what would happen nor could he keep this a secret from her anymore. Knocking on the door softly, he entered the office which was crowded with his friends and a figure sitting in front of the fire, a warm red quilt loosely wrapped around her. Her gaze fixed at the riotous flames of the fire . 

Minerva stood near her protectively . No one in the room looked impressed or merry , neither were they disappointed or angry . Everyone in the room looked disquieted except for Seraphina. Cold contempt overshadowed her delicate face as her dead eyes tried to ignore the newly entered man in the room. 

" Seraphina , there is something we need to tell you about . It's very complicated, and we won't blame you if you hex anyone of us or express your anger. You have the right to do so ." the calm voice of Albus Dumbledore filled in the room from behind his desk. 

Seraphina shifted her gaze from the flames to the old Wizard. Her eyes were empty and her face stony. 

" I know he is a Order of Merlin and a friend of yours, and you care for his respect . Headmaster, I am not asking you for any favor like firing him or anything similar to that . I simply wanted to inform you of this, and I would like to leave Hogwarts once and for all. I cannot keep myself sane if things keep repeating themselves, " declared the Ravenclaw in an emotionless voice . “ And now that someone whom I trusted and admired my whole life has other expectations from me , which I cannot agree with, I would like to stay isolated from the Wizarding world,” she added .

" I understand your anger, Seraphina, but please give us a chance to explain this situation, for once . Things aren’t the way they seem to be. Severus doesn't lust upon you – he is a man of honor , my dear " interrupted Minerva . The girl shot her a cold glance .

" Whatever the Patronus-like thing of the snake said to you was not a joke by Peeves; it was the truth that we have kept secret from you, and the Patronus-like thing was sent by the Dark Lord," declared Albus in a stern voice. 

Seraphina's raven eyes widened at the statement of the old Wizard. How could that be possible? The Dark Lord had perished ten years earlier. How could he send anything resembling a Patronus? What would the darkest wizard ever born want from a invaluable girl such as herself? 

" Ten years ago when Severus killed the Dark Lord , Riddle hexed him with a curse called the Curse of Forbidden Love before dying . Poor Severus was forced to imprint upon one that Lord Voldemort would choose for him," said Minerva rigidly .

" And you were the one You - Know - Who chose for him . Severus cannot control this, otherwise he wouldn't have done it . It's not his fault," added Filius dejectedly . 

Headmaster Dumbledore narrated the whole tale for her . What she heard gave her an insuppressible urge to hex anything around her or punch something hard .  
Seraphina fell on the armchair kept near her. She couldn't believe what her teachers were saying . Professor Snape had imprinted upon her the day she came here … Lord Voldemort had chosen her to cause hurt and sadden Batman … She had heard the name of the Curse of Forbidden Love from her mother once or twice, but she never knew this would happen to her . 

Finally, she rose from the armchair and stepped towards her Professor clad in black , her wand tightly gripped in her delicate hands as if she was ready to hex the man standing in front of her .

" I want to..." she mumbled weakly, but before she could have completed her statement, Batman cut her off. 

" Yes, " he simply said. The Ravenclaw nodded in reply. 

Things were repeating themselves. She was again fading, and it seemed like she was being sucked to oblivion. Soon everything surrounding her turned dark and misty . She was no longer in the Headmaster's office, but inside a small attic room which was dark and shabby. A small bed was placed at the far end of the room where a little boy with long black hair sat with a torn book. His clothes were worn and his eyes were cast down with sadness . Abruptly, a loud shriek filled the room , scaring both Seraphina and little Severus. The scared boy ran towards the door. The witch followed. The shrieking noise was coming from downstairs where a man had pinned a woman who resembled Professor Snape, against the wall. Both the younglings peered down from the top of the spiraling stairs. The man shouted something inaudible, and then the sound of hitting , slapping and punching was followed by the sounds of a pleading woman. Little Professor Snape gasped and ran back to his room , fear shadowing his innocent, childlike face . 

Seraphina also felt scared, but she wanted to stop the man from assaulting the woman, and she also wanted to confront the little boy. Sadly it wasn't possible as she was inside her Professor's memories, and nothing could be changed here. 

Subsequently the mist changed its form to another scene of Batman who looked in his early twenties . The surroundings transfigured into a room similar to Professor Snape's chamber , but the difference was it was very untidy and smelly . The door thudded open, and a visibly angry man stomped in. With the entry of the man, Seraphina felt a rage of anger flowing inside her . The younger version of Professor Snape threw his frock coat away and rolled up the sleeves of his white silk shirt revealing the Dark Mark. threw a bottle of Firewiskey and picked up a large piece from the mess of shattered glass he had created. He stabbed it into the Dark Mark , slitting every part of the visibly black tattoo . The adolescent Ravenclaw felt a stinging pain in her left arm . 

The mist clouded again. It now took the shape of a forest covered with snow. She realized she was seeing Professor Snape's battle memory . The young Professor stood facing Lord Voldemort, both their wands pointed at each other . Suddenly, the Dark Lord started screaming in agony, but before falling to the ground, he pointed his wand at the man standing in front of him and a wave of blue light flew out of his wand, taking the shape of a snake . It was a rather beautifully carved Patronus of a snake with large eyes and a very precisely scaled body . The snake formed high above the ground, it's body doing a dancing motion in the open sky. It suddenly shot a glance at him, and the hissing words poured out as its thin mouth opened and spoke something Seraphina understood completely. She was also a Parselmouth after all . The snake hissingly declared that –   
Severus Snape, you have been cursed by Lord Voldemort to imprint upon a girl that will give you the pain you deserve. 

She saw uncountable memories, and they only gave Professor Snape distress and nothing else. 

It was enough pain for Seraphina to handle at the moment when she herself was going through unquenchable distress . Her body was fading and the mist was dissolving itself, and soon she was outside Batman's brain and back in the Headmaster's office . In front of her stood the man she had vowed not to see the face of a few hours before, but now she felt sad for him. Still, she didn't know what she was supposed to feel: anger , frustration or understanding towards the complexity of the situation . So, had it meant that he saw her reflection because of the curse ? After a long moment of rumbling thoughts , Seraphina decided what to do. Reluctantly, she stepped towards the Potions Master.   
Albus and Minerva gasped audibly as the girl stepped closer to her Professor , the Aspen wood wand tightly gripped in her hand , indicating her readiness for an attack . Their fear was unraveling itself , Seraphina wasn’t convinced of the fact that it wasn’t her Professor’s fault that she had been imprinted upon. 

Severus saw her raven eyes restoring to their original color and that she was stepping towards him. He knew why she was coming closer – to slap him hard . He deserved that after all, how could he expect a sixteen-year-old to understand the complexity of this situation ?I 

In actuality, the amount of maturity and understanding Seraphina had showcased at times had Severus hoping that she would understand this scenario, too , but unfortunately he had been mistaken by his own trust in Seraphina . The Dungeon Master closed his eyes. He had lost the courage to see the hate for himself in those eyes. He felt the collar of his coat being pulled, but he didn't opened his eyes to see the onerous hatred in those black orbs . The few minutes felt like forever to him. To his surprise, neither came the slap nor a question. What came left Severus wordless and flabbergasted . Severus felt a small and fragile figure pressed against his own frame. A pair of delicate arms wrapped around his neck, pulling him into a tight, comforting embrace . The young Professor's eyes opened wide to see Seraphina pressing him into a warm hug . Her embrace wasn’t seeking any comfort, instead it radiated a sense of protection. He felt as if no one – not even the Dark Lord himself--could hurt him now that the girl was with him , near him .

" When was the last time you got hugged , Half - Blood Prince ?" she whispered into his ear. 

Her voice was at the verge of cracking , but despite her endless efforts to control herself, a tear rolled down her cheek. Severus didn't reply. He simply didn’t know what he was suppose to say. Maybe he should thank the girl for understanding his unexplainable situation , but his mind didn’t want to get entangled in the words , so he simply wrapped his muscular arms around her , pulling her even closer to himself . 

Eventually, Severus' muscles relaxed, and he melted into her arms. Never before in his life had the young man felt so comforted . They both stood in each other's arms for a long moment before Albus cleared his throat to tug the duo back to reality. They pulled apart , red-faced as they realized there was an audience spectating the view . The overwhelming feeling caused them to forget that they were standing in the room with four other people, too. 

" I am sorry . I crossed my limits. I shouldn't have let my heart control my mind, " mumbled Seraphina, her head bowed low with embarrassment. 

" Seraphina, don't feel sorry for relieving us from our biggest dilemma," chortled Albus . 

Seraphina gave him a puzzled look . 

" We were scared that you might not understand this situation, but it seems now that you are pretty much sure of what you will do ." explained Minerva.   
“ I don’t know the reason for keeping such information secret from me, but I would like to make a promise to you all, and especially to you, Professor Snape . I don’t know how this will work out. I don’t know if we both will be able to… know …love …each other , but I will be by your side whenever you need me ,” said Seraphina emphatically." But there are a few things I want to clear up before anyone of us leave this office," added the witch.

Albus indicated for her to get seated and then speak. Seraphina obeyed and seated herself on the armchair. 

" I don't know what to feel at this moment, I am not sure of the reason why Lord Voldemort chose me to hurt Professor Snape, because I cannot even in my dreams think of doing something to disappoint him . But I want a favor from you, Professor Snape, and from you all , too, " said the young witch while glancing at the four friends of her destined life partner . 

" I propose that nothing will happen between Professor Snape and me until I am a student here . I would prefer to share the relationship Professor Snape and Miss Barclay shared . My reasons are not personal. I proposed this keeping in mind the social status either if us posses, and the reputation of Hogwarts which we should avoid affecting. I don't want anyone to question Professor Snape’s morals or sanity because of someone so trivial like me , but if you want it otherwise I will not go against you. And yes, please, no other efforts for sparking things up between the two of us," vocalized the witch as she passed the old Wizard a weak but sly smile. 

She shifted her gaze to the young professor standing near her. 

" And for me , I know I am not suited to you, and forgive me for that, but happily, Lord Voldemort clearly made a huge mistake by choosing me for a great man like you. I know it might have disappointed you upon learning that I was the person you were to imprint upon. Can we fall in love? I don't know the answer to that question, but I believe we both could start ...this… with a friendship, then maybe..." Seraphina found herself at a loss of words, but even after being in such an awkward position , she was able to make herself clear .

Severus walked up to her and kneeled on the floor of the office , making himself level with her. He took her shivering hands in his slender fingers and fixed her with a look of compassion .

" I am the one who is unsuitable for you , Miss Barclay . You accepted me, but it took me a lot of time to accept the fact that God has graced me with the most wonderful person on this Earth . I will never in my life do anything that you are against. I respect your decision, and no one - not even my Cupid friends - will force you to do anything against your will, " said Severus in a soft tone , his voice like melted chocolate.

" I promise you that I will never let anyone hurt you anymore," whispered the lovely witch softly with a warm smile . Batman raised her hands and caressed them with his this lips. 

" I thought you both were just friends, " commented Filius with a mirthful smile. 

Severus and Seraphina looked at the four Wizards who were giving them mischievous glances. 

" Professor McGonagall, thanks for giving me the best prom partner ever, and Professor Dumbledore, I thought that was very bold of you to send me to Professor Snape's chambers , but thanks for being so thoughtful," she spoke with a sweet smile playing on her lips. 

The clock chimed as the hands showed twelve. Seraphina's birthday arrived with the most unusual gift she could have received . She met the one destined for her on her seventeenth birthday, and it was no one other than the formidable Professor Snape who had a vulnerable heart that needed compassion and care, but this gift brought a lot of responsibilities with it.

" Happy seventeenth birthday, Seraphina, my dear," declared Albus cheerfully as he rose from behind his desk. 

" Thanks, Headmaster Dumbledore," said Seraphina shyly . 

Everyone in the room wished her a happy birthday. 

" I suppose you two friends should leave for your chambers , it's already midnight, and we have a busy day tomorrow," Dumbledore added. 

The duo agreed and left the office, walking silently towards the Prefect's dorm . Once they approached the painting of the young maiden, Seraphina turned to face her Professor. After a long moment of silence, Seraphina spoke.

" I think I should leave . Good night, Professor Snape," she said awkwardly and turned to leave, but before she could have walked off, she felt his hand grab her arm and pull her towards him. The next moment, she was pressed against the muscular chest of her Professor . Her delicate face buried into the chest. She could clearly hear his heart which was throbbing thunderously .

" I don't know how I could ever thank you for accepting me despite the odds . Thank you for bringing happiness into my life ." The chocolatey voice of Batman whispered in her ears.

It sent goosebumps down her body as her eyes widened . She awkwardly patted his back and waited for him to release her from his grip. Eventually he let go of her fragile figure .

" I...I...don't know what to say . Sir, you are the best man I have ever met in my life, but I just want to say that we shouldn't do anything questionable while I am here as a student - it's just for your sake. I don't want students going around gossiping about you..." Seraphina tried to explain herself as she blushed deeply.

" I appreciate your concern, and I respect your decision , Miss Barclay. Forgive me, for I just crossed my limits because of the overwhelmed feeling I felt on hearing your response, " Severus explained before she could have completed her words. 

The young witch nodded shyly . She vanished inside the entrance hole as Severus left for his Dungeon chamber. 

Seraphina moved to her chamber's bed and sat down , her head leaning on the bedpost . How would she be able to love her Professor Snape ? Never had she ever thought in her wildest dreams that the smart , handsome , logical, and intelligent Batman was the man destined for her--to love her and care for her . Severus Snape was encompassing her thoughts at that moment. But one thought bothered her – would she ever be able to match his personality? There were so many differences between them: he was a man of class ,his Victorian dressing style , the way he presented himself, and the unconventional attractiveness he possessed . She, on the other hand, was a geeky book worm who wore Muggle clothes , always kept her nose buried in a book, and her glasses covered more than half of her small face. She felt as if he deserved someone elegant , alluring, and someone who was not geeky like her. 

While Severus on the other hand was lying on his bed , a smile plastered on his thin lips. The lovely , smart , elegant, and unconventionally charismatic Seraphina filled his mind, and he couldn't have felt any more jovial . 

One thing was certain for the unconventional duo - they both wanted to see a smile on the other's face. 

The snow melted away from over the Hogwarts castle as the third month of the year approached. Nothing much changed for Seraphina ever since the last episode of Valentine's day , but there was still one question left unanswered to the Ravenclaw - the identity of The Half - Blood Prince . The Prince didn't make any other moves after the black roses, which bothered and relieved the witch at the same time. She felt relaxed on knowing the fact that he wasn't interested in her anymore, but what bothered her was the realization that she would not get a chance to know who The Half - Blood Prince was . Severus, on the other hand, was unaware of the fact that the girl felt fascinated by his nickname. He regretted his decision of sending her his decreased mother's favorite flowers . 

Although Albus , Minerva , Filius, and Hagrid had acted as if they agreed with Severus' decision of not manipulating Seraphina into accepting a man 14 years older than she , secretly they all prayed to Merlin , that Seraphina would accept this cumbersome relationship . 

Headmaster Dumbledore appointed a new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher named Christopher Smith Jr . Smith was a fine man of 40 with a medium frame, but there was nothing distinguishable in his personality. Miss Hudson - the History of Magic teacher , despite that fact, showed a great deal of interest in him . Soon, it became normal to observe the duo strolling together or sitting next to each other in the Great Hall , having deep and lengthy conversations . 

Seraphina felt happy for the new pair. Only a little fraction of the reason for her merriment was Miss Hudson's new-found exhilaration , mostly she was contented to see that now at least the new teacher wouldn't mind giving her any special attention .

Severus, on the other hand, didn’t mind the presence of the new teacher because his mind was already preoccupied with the thought of the Ravenclaw's reaction on knowing about the Curse of Forbidden Love . The young Professor worried that he might lose the most wonderful person in his life, but he didn't posses the courage to lie to her. Her dusky eyes always held a look of sadness in them .Warmth , mysteriousness , sadness and curiosity always played a playfully fluid dance in those eyes . It was impossible for the Potions Master to lie when she looked at him with those truth seeking orbs. It felt to him like he was betraying himself by lying to the girl who deserved all the happiness the world could grace her with . At first, the man who took down the Dark Lord was scared to like Seraphina, but now he was scared to cause her pain and suffering because he had started to like , admire, and adore her .

ልረልክ

It was the first day of March. After attending all her lectures the young witch didn't go to the library like she usually did in her normal routine. Instead, she walked down the corridor leading her towards the gargoyle of the Headmaster's office on the seventh floor of the castle . 

Severus made his way towards Albus' office as well. He needed to talk to the old wizard about how they would tell Seraphina about the imprinting curse when his eyes fell on her delicate figure descending the staircase of the Gargoyle , lost in her own thoughts. She passed him without even noticing his presence . Severus hurried into the office without even bothering to ask for the Headmaster's permission . 

" What happened to Miss Barclay ? " asked Severus at once. 

" I thought we weren't allowed to intrude in her personal affairs ." commented Albus in a mirthful tone .

" Oh Merlin ! For once can you please keep your sarcastic attitude out of this, and tell me what happened to her. She looked lost," said the young Wizard impatiently. 

" Nothing much to worry about, my dear friend. She just came to ask for my permission to leave the castle this evening," said Albus as if stating the obvious. 

" And you gave a student - especially Seraphina , the permission to leave the castle?! She is a Merlin awardee for God's sake , Albus ! Didn't you see her? She looked so lost. I doubt you should have let her leave the vicinity of the castle when you know the remaining Death Eaters might be looking for her. They are thirsty for her blood," spat Severus in a mixed expression of anger and concern. 

Albus silently listened to what the young Professor said. He was amused by the perturb he was exhibiting towards the girl .

" I don't remember clearly when you showed this amount of care for anyone , Severus . Does that indicate anything significant?" came a cunning reply from behind the desk . " And besides that, you needn't worry about Seraphina. She is very capable of handling her emotions and herself very prudently, " he added .

" Where has she gone?" asked Severus, ignoring the assertion put forward by the Headmaster. 

" I promised Miss Barclay to not to tell anyone where she is going. It's something personal ." said Albus calmly. 

" I have every right to know where has she gone . " said the Dungeon master. " Ok, listen Albus , although you are right that I have no right to ask you this, but please tell me where has she gone because my heart doesn’t believe that she is in the frame of mind to handle herself," he added. 

" Greenhaven Woodland Church, " said the man with crescent moon glasses. 

" But..." the word left Severus' thin lips, but he was cut off by Albus before he could speak any further .

" Please forgive me , my dear Severus, but I cannot tell you the reason because there are some promises I am bound by," explained Albus .

Severus left the office at once without another word. His long legs carrying him as quickly as they could , towards the black entrance gate of the castle . Outside the black iron gate he didn't find Seraphina as he has expected . The raven yew-wood wand tightly gripped in his lean fingers , his mind concentrated on the location where the witch has went . Soon a opaque sphere of black mist encompassed his black figure, and eventually he felt his body being pushed through a tight and narrow rubber tube. The years of Apparating made him immune to the ill effects of the magical way of traveling long distance in no time . He didn't feel anything more than a tingle in his gut, and in a split second, that was gone too . 

Severus appeared on a cement pavement. Subsequently, he realized he landed on the pavement of a Muggle street. On his right sat a line of seventeenth century two-story buildings with numerous shops on the lower floors . On his left was a large field with a building standing by itself. Up high there was the purple-gray spire of a church and the irregular form of an old building. The building before him was beautiful, old stone and stained glass . Besides the lonely building there was nothing but a huge field. 

The Muggles walking down the street eyed him suspiciously because of the Wizarding robes he wore . He scanned the street for a barren or isolated alley, and successfully found one close to his right. Briskly, he entered the dark alley and pulled out his raven wand. With a flick , a downpour of bright golden light encircled him, and the next moment the frock coat was transfigured into a long overcoat, and his cloak was refashioned into a jet-black scarf loosely wrapped around his neck. He cautiously left his trousers and shoes the way they were . 

Severus paced out of the dark alley he was standing in , noticing the windy weather outside the eerie alley. As the young Professor walked towards the grandiose iron gate of the church , his black orbs fell on a figure known to him. He saw Seraphina descending down the staircase of a flower shop with a beautiful bouquet of white tulips held in her delicate hands. She still looked lost and sad to him . The Ravenclaw meandered towards the church with a lost look on her face. Severus didn't want to stalk the witch, but the curiosity of knowing what a young girl such as herself was doing in a church filled him, and he was certain that only here he would get the answer to his question of why she was sad. Reluctantly he followed . 

Seraphina didn't walk on the sandstone path laid past the grass of the grounds , directing towards the church building. Instead, she ambled towards the multitudinous graves that stood erected on the field. Eventually she reached her destination, as she belayed near one such stone grave, placing the white tulips next to another bouquet of white flowers in front of the erected stone. She kneeled on the ground then folded her hands in front of her chest and intertwining her thin fingers. After muttering something under her breath, she stood back up . 

Severus contemplated her every move from a distance, but an urge to go near her was growing inside him. His attempts to suppress it had penurious results . So, he walked up to the position to be within earshot. Now he could hear what she said without attracting any attention to himself. 

" How are you, Mum " the voice of Seraphina erupted out of the blue . Her voice was filled with compassion and warmth as always . " I miss you. Even Daniel misses you . You know the Ministry awarded me an Order of Merlin , First Class, but I still don't know if I deserve that . I went to Hogwarts as you asked me to, and thanks for making me go to that amazing place. I don't know if I would have liked it at Beauxbatons. I surely wouldn't have found friends like Luc, Eley and George there . Well, at last I met Professor Snape in person , but I still don't know why you didn't let me meet him earlier . Well let’s put that aside , I want to tell him that I am luckiest girl on this Earth, Mum. You know who took me to the Yule Ball? Well, it was Professor Snape," said the girl with a chortle . 

" Mom, although I am not upset with you for leaving me so soon, was it necessary to leave your little Seraphina alone all by herself? Of course as you always said, everyone has their own angels in life. Daniel is mine. " The witch sniffed as she unsuccessfully tried to hold back the tears from falling . 

" Why did you leave me? First Dad, then you. Why ? Am I so bad? I don't know how I will be able to keep myself sane if all these things keep happening to me . " The words left her lips in no more than a whisper as she wept , but soon she composed herself and wiped the tears from her cheeks .

"Never mind. I am such a crybaby at times . Well, thank you for being such an amazing mother . I love you, " the witch told her as she stood there rooted in place for a few moments before walking off towards the longevous church . 

Severus watched the girl with a lot of uncertainty. He didn't know why he hadn’t gone to console her when she cried in front of that grave . Maybe, deep inside his heart he knew that his presence would only constrict the pain Seraphina was letting out . 

Habitually, everyone saw Seraphina as the girl who never suffered, and the girl for whom life was far more easy than others, but in actuality, the girl had gone through as much suffering as any other person had gone through. Maybe even more. The only difference was that others mourned publicly over their misery so the world knew theirs, but this girl kept the distress to herself and tried to spread as much happiness as she could . Severus felt it right to let the Ravenclaw let out her pain .

The lovely witch was in no condition to notice the presence of any living being, especially her formidable Professor, even more so when he was wearing Muggle clothes , so she walked past him without realizing who he was . She briskly strolled up to the church and walked into the old structure. Again, Severus hesitated to follow her up, but something inside him forced him to against his will. Moving into the passage, he wondered whether this quiet air, filled with the scent of incense , candles, and the more solidly anglican smell of musty prayer books, metal polish and flowers and the brightly lit passage with it's floor of encaustic tiles and its white-painted walls ran the whole west end of the church. 

As the Dungeon Master's eyes fell on the far end of the praying hall of the church, he saw no one except the fragile figure of Seraphina kneeling on the step near the large statue of the Lord Jesus hung by a wooden cross . Something invisible was pushing him towards the girl as he reluctantly took every step towards her. Before he could have realized it, he was standing near the praying figure of the young witch. 

" God won't judge you no matter what you ask him for , my child," a voice whispered in his ears as he turned to face a middle-aged man in black robes . 

" But I don't know what to pray for, " replied the young Wizard in whispers . 

" So, just thank God for all he has graced you with, " whispered the priest and strolled away as mysteriously as he appeared. 

Severus didn't kneel down to pray. He wasn't sure what he would ask thanks for. Lily had chosen James above him , his parents had died before he had even turned old enough to sustain himself ,then the curse by Lord Voldemort had caused him to imprint upon Seraphina, whom he didn't deserve . 

But he was thankful to Him for sending friends like Minerva, Albus , Filius, and Hagrid into his life, and Seraphina was probably the best thing that had happened to him . The Professor wordlessly sat on the rear wooden bench. He didn't know what he was supposed to do next. He didn't want to stalk the Ravenclaw witch anymore, but he wasn't sure whether she should be left on her own or not, because he still feared the Death Eaters would attack her . 

" Oh, Professor Snape ! I didn't knew you were here, too," a soft , warm voice fell on his ears, tugging him out of his ocean of thoughts. He raised his head to see Seraphina standing near , her eyes puffy and her cheeks stained from tears . 

" You aren't the only one who has permission to leave the castle , Miss Barclay, " he replied calmly .

" Well, I know it's very impolite to ask, but what are doing here - in a church ?" asked the witch with a hesitant tone. 

" Student’s safety is Hogwarts first concern , Miss Barclay . You may not care for your safety and status , but it might have escaped your notice that there are people who care for you and your feelings ," said Batman . " But I should be the one to ask what are you doing here , Miss Barclay?" questioned Severus. 

" I...I...I...just came... for some... enlightenment, " she stuttered .

" And what was your enlightenment? " he questioned. " Lying is something you perform very poorly," he added without giving her a chance to answer. 

A long pause of silence came over them. It was Severus who broke the fragile silence with his cavernous voice. 

" I hope you have paid your homage to your mother ." 

The girl wordlessly nodded in her reply . 

" What did you asked God for ?" 

" Nothing. I just thanked him for everything.” She eyed him speculatively. “So, you mean to say that Headmaster Dumbledore sent you to keep an eye on me. " said the adolescent witch without looking at him . 

“ Miss Barclay, I know some matters are personal and require your and only your presence there, but I must express my disappointment on you . A student such as yourself isn’t expected to act so ignorantly when you know there are Death Eaters who want to see you beheaded for getting 11 of their members arrested . And I doubt you want another photograph of yours on the front page of the Daily Prophet with another silly made up faux story,” said the Potions Master with a visibly disappointed look on his slender , pale face . He stood up from the wooden bench to face the young witch.   
“ I doubt I need any security , sir . I am capable enough to keep myself safe from any threat, “ said the witch sternly . “ But why would the Daily Prophet be stalking me ?” she asked with an astounded look on her face . 

" I think you should say yes," another voice made itself heard. Severus recognized it as the voice of the priest who suggested him to pray earlier. The duo turned to face the old man mirthfully smiling at them . 

" May I beg your pardon, Father, " said Seraphina. 

" It's rare to see a couple proposing in church , my child. I think you should say yes to the young man," declared the priest as he walked up towards the pair . Seraphina turned as red as she could get. The comment was awkwardly funny and utterly embarrassing . 

“ I am speechless at your interpretation, Father. Forgive me for I need to excuse myself from the company of you gentlemen,” exclaimed Seraphina hurriedly as she paced towards the large door which had been wide open from which streamed the fading sunlight of the sunset. 

" Ah... Father...it is nothing like that . I...we...there is nothing like that between us, " Severus muttered quietly.

" Lord, forgive me ! I just misinterpreted the whole scene . Forgive me, my child, " pleaded the priest . " Please ask for her forgiveness on my behalf, young man," he added as he turned to walk away. 

Severus stood there for a few moments, dumbstruck by the comment of the priest but soon he followed Seraphina's path and exited the old structure. He saw the young girl standing near the iron gate all by herself, her face was still red from embarrassment . 

" He said sorry to you , Miss Barclay, " said Severus as he approached the girl . 

The Ravenclaw gave him a long look. Her visage was stony. Abruptly she broke into fits of embarrassed laughter. Her Professor joined in, but they both didn't uttered a single word about the incident. Subsequently, the Potions Master composed himself and extended his hands towards her which received him a look of bafflement from the laughing girl. 

" We need to Apparate back to the castle , Miss Barclay, " he declared solemnly. 

Seraphina too, composed herself and held her Professor's hand delicately. Soon the mist formed, and in the blink of an eye, they were at the iron gates of Hogwarts castle . Severus narrowly eyed his companion who had a sick look on her face. 

" Are you okay, Miss Barclay ?" inquired Batman . 

" I think so, " replied the witch .

Seraphina was lucky that this time Apparating hadn’t made her vomit. She felt relaxed after a few minutes of nausea . Once inside the castle, they both parted ways with an unspoken promise to keep the priest's comment a secret .

While Severus was on his way to the Dungeons, he saw Albus climbing the stairs directing towards the Dungeon . His old face gleamed at the sight of his young colleague .

" Oh, Severus, did you find out why Seraphina went to the graveyard? " asked the old wizard. 

" I am sorry Albus, but I am not a stalker " spat the young man . 

" Then why are you wearing Muggle clothes, my dear Severus? " added Albus cunningly. 

Severus realized too late that he was still wearing those transfigured clothes . 

" Okay, I went after her , but it was just for her safety. My heart wasn't convinced that she would be all right by herself, " he replied defeatedly . 

" Well my plan worked well , I assume," declared Albus with a mirthful smirk. 

He knew Severus would have followed up with a question so he continued without giving the young Wizard a chance to speak.

" I am as much concerned about her safety as you are . So, I just lied to you about not knowing her intentions. I was sure that you would have gone after her and hence, both my purpose were served . I ensured that she was safe with you, and you got yet another chance to know who Seraphina really is, " he added. 

Severus was mute for a brief moment .

" Why is it that you feel that you know what is best for everyone , Albus? What was the need to lie to me? You could have asked me to follow her directly; I would have never said no to you," fumed the Dungeon Master. 

" She would have never agreed to the proposal of going to her mother's grave under a teacher's surveillance , Severus . And you would have never been able to see her real pain if she would have had the knowledge of your presence," replied the Wizard with the crescent moon glasses. 

Severus acknowledged the fact that every word he spoke was right, but still a small part of his heart was still annoyed by Albus' acts. 

" You shouldn't have told her that the priest asked for her forgiveness, " the fading voice of Albus fell on his ears . 

" How did you know about that, Albus ?" questioned the young man as he turned towards the robes that were swaying behind the old Wizard. " Please tell me you weren't behind that also?" he pleaded. 

" Listen, Severus, I promised you I would do whatever I could to spark things between you two, and that was all that I did there. Why don't you understand that you two look adorable together?" said the old wizard. 

" We talked about it Albus: nothing before she graduates from here, " added Severus with the slightest hint of frustrated in his tone. 

Neither of them uttered another syllable, and both went on their way because both knew it was an endless and futile debate. 

ልረልክ 

The promise was sustained faithfully by the Ravenclaw Prefect and the Dungeon Master. The days passed by like the bristling of leaves and soon only one night was left before Seraphina's birthday, but little did the adolescent girl know that the night would change her life forever. The witch was ignorant to the fact that her already topsy – turvy life would get shattered in a split second, but she would also find the one who would help her glue back every part .

On the night of the 9th of March, the young witch was on her way to the fourth floor corridor of the west wing as a part of her patrolling duty . Her headphones were tucked into her ears as she strolled down the corridor humming the lyrics of the songs playing on her iPod . While striding along leisurely, her eyes fell upon the door of a classroom that was half open. She peeked in to ensure that it was empty but to her surprise inside the empty classroom was standing Batman in front of a very large mirror . His face was fixed at the reflection in the mirror. He raised his left hand and caressed the reflecting glass as if he was caressing a person. His slender, pale face had a saddened expression on it. 

Why was Batman sad to see his own reflection ? Many more questions erupted in Seraphina's mind. She tried to figure out the reason for his distress . The picturesque memory of the page of a book – “ Magical Creations “ came to mind. She remembered reading from the book in the Restricted Section of the library , about a mirror showing the person his greatest fears . The thought stuck her that it might be the same mirror, but still uncertainty overshadowed her . 

Finally, she decided to do what she hated to. She would be entering Batman's mind to see what was the reflection showing him . Seraphina relaxed her mind, and in no time her raven orbs started fading, and the crystal blue color took their place. Her whole body was fading and the sight looked like she was being sucked into oblivion. Everything around her turned shiny white , then all of a sudden, everything surrounding her started to turn misty and dark. She was inside Batman's brain now . In front of her was the same room she was peering into previously, but now she was standing nowhere near the door. Instead, she was standing near the stained window of the barren classroom. in front of her stood the misty figure of Professor Snape. A sad feeling came over her out of the blue - she was feeling what her Professor was feeling right now .

Pushing the distressed feeling aside, the girl stepped towards the mirror, but the sight which greeted her left her in a state of utter shock . In the reflection of the mirror, Professor Snape wasn’t alone, but a girl stood there in front of him. His robes were also different from what he was actually wearing . The image in front of her wasn't stationary , neither was it obeying any laws of reflection the young Ravenclaw had studied about. On the contrary, the image in the mirror showed a whole other scene – a scene one could fantasize about . 

Batman's reflection was wearing a white silk shirt and black trousers, while the girl standing in front of her just had a black silk bedsheet loosely draped around her rather skinny form. The sheet covering her was so loosely draped around her breast that the silk dropped low near her back , showing her attractive and aesthetic back on exposition. Batman’s eyes were inundated with compassion . Eventually, the tall figure of Batman wrapped his muscular arms around the delicate figure of the girl, pulling her closer to himself , his hands caressing the soft waist of the female. Then he leaned in so that his lips was caressing the girl's. The girl draped in black silk reciprocated his caress. In a delicate manner, the lady in black raised her hand and pulled her fingers slowly through Professor Snape’s jet black hair, and they both shared a passionate kiss . Seraphina felt awkward entering her teacher's mind and seeing such a personal and vulnerable memory of his, making her regret her decision , so, she turned her back towards the mirror and focused her mind to prepare herself to retreat from his mind when a very known and similar voice fell on her ears. It sent goosebumps down her body . 

" I love you , Severus," the possessor of the voice said breathlessly. The voice seemed unnaturally similar to her own - for once it felt to the adolescent witch as if it was her own voice, but she also knew it was impossible so she turned back to face the large mirror, and what she saw anaesthetized her mind . 

For the first time ever since she had entered the teacher’s brain did she intimately espied the features of the girl . Her hair was as black as the most pure of velvety nights with a slight wave at the tail end falling on her shoulders. A pair of black glasses was placed on the top of her nose , the short round face resembled her own was outlined by the effervescent moonlight falling into the room from the stained glass . Although it was impossible to believe, the reflection was unquestionably hers own . 

" I love you too , Seraphina, " the deeply enticing voice of Severus Snape made itself clear. 

The couple was still inches from each other . Professor Snape couldn’t see something like this in the mirror . It wasn’t possible. He didn’t like her - no he couldn’t like her. Uncountable similar thoughts raced through her mind as she hastily escaped Batman's brain . Once she was not in the world of his memories , she ran. She ran as if Lord Voldemort himself was after her life, and she was obliged to run for her life like a poltroon , instead of dying like the brave warrior she was. It felt to her as if she heard a fading sound of her Professor calling her from behind, but she had lost the courage to face the man she had admired her whole life. 

He had promised that he would never hurt her, but his desire to kiss her – a 16 year old school girl , narrated a different story . Seraphina ran outside the castle straight into the dark , menacingly eerie forbidden forest . The memories from a few days prior flashed in front of her. Something very similar to this had happened with her. Lockhart - a teacher--confessed his love for her, and now another Professor was seeing a reflection of himself kissing her . The witch's brain was numbing at an alarming rate, but she couldn't afford to let the emotions take over her mind. She needed to compose herself and ready herself for whatever unknown would come in her path . The Prefect decided to report this incident straight to Headmaster Dumbledore, but before knocking on the door of the Headmaster’s office she needed to quell the volcano of emotions that had erupted inside her . 

Diverting her mind away from Professor Snape was important. His face, which was constantly coming in front of her eyes , was sending a throbbing pain down her chest. How could the man she assumed to be the most noble man she could have crossed paths with , think like that of her? Why was she the only one men found worthy of their attention and lust? There was nothing special about her; neither did she possess a beautiful face, nor was she the most attractive girl in the whole school. Her dressing sense was more elegant than bold. First Noah , then Lockhart and now Professor Snape. The last one was not even someone the young witch had thought would do something like this to her . Why was life being so cruel to her? Seraphina feared she would not be able to keep herself composed any further now that the same thing was happening to her the third time .

Seraphina was too late to realize that her aimless sprinting brought her to the middle of the menacingly dark forest. She was surrounded by a layer of thick forest filled with treacherous and savage creatures on all sides . She paled as if she'd been painted with white-wash. Even her lips were barely there. Then with one step backwards, she crumpled like a puppet suddenly released of their strings on the dirt covered ground .

ልረልክ

The Mirror of Erised was a creation of Wizards that showed you your greatest desire . The Mirror of Erised was an ancient, ornate mirror. It had clawed feet and a gold frame inscribed with the phrase “ Erised stra ehru oyt ube cafru oyt on wohsi.” The mirror showed the most desperate desire of a person’s heart; a vision that has been known to drive men mad. Mad wasn’t the most appropriate word, but the mirror did give him the only ray of hope he had in his darkened world – Seraphina.

Severus was making rounds when he saw the poltergeist - Peeves bursting out of one classroom with tears falling from the eyes . The sight was rare. Peeves was usually the creature that caused others to cry, but seeing the Poltergeist cry made the young man curious to know what caused him to shed it's tears. He entered the classroom which had a large mirror kept in its center . He knew about the Magical phenomena which caused many great Wizards and Witches to destroy themselves because they had lost the will to live once they had tasted the fantasy of living in their dreams . 

But what was his own deepest desire ? The question intrigued him. He walked up to the mirror to get his answer , but what the reflection displayed saddened him . It wasn't a lie that his greatest desire was Seraphina's affection, but he knew that was far from happening. Why would she choose him over the charismatic boys out there who would give everything to have her as their girlfriend . But the reflection consoled him at the same time. Maybe not in the real world, but at least in the world of the Enchanted mirror he would be graced with her . 

The whole world went black for Severus as his eyes fell on Seraphina’s figure standing near the half-open door of the barren classroom , her eyes unnaturally crystalline blue instead of the natural raven color of it. He realized what was going on. Seraphina had entered his mind and had seen what the Mirror of Erised had shown him--his greatest desire was Seraphina's affection and acceptance . Seraphina's eyes returned to their authentic dark color and in the blink of an eye she was running away from him. He called for her to tell her the truth, but she was gone. Severus wanted to follow, but his body wasn't coordinating with the mind . Everything collapsed in front him. He felt cold as fear augmented inside of him. He could see the clear vision of Seraphina fixing him with a loathing look and then, out of blue, she disappeared, leaving his world barren and dark .

The young Professor stood still for God knows how long. It felt to him like he was losing the will to live. He was supposed to love Seraphina for his entire life. From the beginning it had hardly a chance of working out, but now it was impossible , seeing that the lovely witch would never accept him . The sadness that had come over him was sending a stinging pain down his chest as if he was being repeatedly stabbed by a sharp dagger . 

Suddenly the sound of wing flattering tugged him out if his deep thoughts. The sound came from an owl hovering above his head. The brown owl dropped a piece of parchment near him and flew away . Severus picked up the parchment. It was from Albus, and it read - 

Severus I want you in my office this very instant. We need to tell Seraphina everything . 

Albus 

The stinging pain in his chest proliferated as he read the last line of the note , but he knew it was important to do so now that Seraphina has seen something she should have known a lot earlier. 

Sighing heavily, he made his way towards the office of Headmaster Dumbledore on the seventh floor . Before knocking at the door of the office he hesitated, but neither could he change what would happen nor could he keep this a secret from her anymore. Knocking on the door softly, he entered the office which was crowded with his friends and a figure sitting in front of the fire, a warm red quilt loosely wrapped around her. Her gaze fixed at the riotous flames of the fire . 

Minerva stood near her protectively . No one in the room looked impressed or merry , neither were they disappointed or angry . Everyone in the room looked disquieted except for Seraphina. Cold contempt overshadowed her delicate face as her dead eyes tried to ignore the newly entered man in the room. 

" Seraphina , there is something we need to tell you about . It's very complicated, and we won't blame you if you hex anyone of us or express your anger. You have the right to do so ." the calm voice of Albus Dumbledore filled in the room from behind his desk. 

Seraphina shifted her gaze from the flames to the old Wizard. Her eyes were empty and her face stony. 

" I know he is a Order of Merlin and a friend of yours, and you care for his respect . Headmaster, I am not asking you for any favor like firing him or anything similar to that . I simply wanted to inform you of this, and I would like to leave Hogwarts once and for all. I cannot keep myself sane if things keep repeating themselves, " declared the Ravenclaw in an emotionless voice . “ And now that someone whom I trusted and admired my whole life has other expectations from me , which I cannot agree with, I would like to stay isolated from the Wizarding world,” she added .

" I understand your anger, Seraphina, but please give us a chance to explain this situation, for once . Things aren’t the way they seem to be. Severus doesn't lust upon you – he is a man of honor , my dear " interrupted Minerva . The girl shot her a cold glance .

" Whatever the Patronus-like thing of the snake said to you was not a joke by Peeves; it was the truth that we have kept secret from you, and the Patronus-like thing was sent by the Dark Lord," declared Albus in a stern voice. 

Seraphina's raven eyes widened at the statement of the old Wizard. How could that be possible? The Dark Lord had perished ten years earlier. How could he send anything resembling a Patronus? What would the darkest wizard ever born want from a invaluable girl such as herself? 

" Ten years ago when Severus killed the Dark Lord , Riddle hexed him with a curse called the Curse of Forbidden Love before dying . Poor Severus was forced to imprint upon one that Lord Voldemort would choose for him," said Minerva rigidly .

" And you were the one You - Know - Who chose for him . Severus cannot control this, otherwise he wouldn't have done it . It's not his fault," added Filius dejectedly . 

Headmaster Dumbledore narrated the whole tale for her . What she heard gave her an insuppressible urge to hex anything around her or punch something hard .  
Seraphina fell on the armchair kept near her. She couldn't believe what her teachers were saying . Professor Snape had imprinted upon her the day she came here … Lord Voldemort had chosen her to cause hurt and sadden Batman … She had heard the name of the Curse of Forbidden Love from her mother once or twice, but she never knew this would happen to her . 

Finally, she rose from the armchair and stepped towards her Professor clad in black , her wand tightly gripped in her delicate hands as if she was ready to hex the man standing in front of her .

" I want to..." she mumbled weakly, but before she could have completed her statement, Batman cut her off. 

" Yes, " he simply said. The Ravenclaw nodded in reply. 

Things were repeating themselves. She was again fading, and it seemed like she was being sucked to oblivion. Soon everything surrounding her turned dark and misty . She was no longer in the Headmaster's office, but inside a small attic room which was dark and shabby. A small bed was placed at the far end of the room where a little boy with long black hair sat with a torn book. His clothes were worn and his eyes were cast down with sadness . Abruptly, a loud shriek filled the room , scaring both Seraphina and little Severus. The scared boy ran towards the door. The witch followed. The shrieking noise was coming from downstairs where a man had pinned a woman who resembled Professor Snape, against the wall. Both the younglings peered down from the top of the spiraling stairs. The man shouted something inaudible, and then the sound of hitting , slapping and punching was followed by the sounds of a pleading woman. Little Professor Snape gasped and ran back to his room , fear shadowing his innocent, childlike face . 

Seraphina also felt scared, but she wanted to stop the man from assaulting the woman, and she also wanted to confront the little boy. Sadly it wasn't possible as she was inside her Professor's memories, and nothing could be changed here. 

Subsequently the mist changed its form to another scene of Batman who looked in his early twenties . The surroundings transfigured into a room similar to Professor Snape's chamber , but the difference was it was very untidy and smelly . The door thudded open, and a visibly angry man stomped in. With the entry of the man, Seraphina felt a rage of anger flowing inside her . The younger version of Professor Snape threw his frock coat away and rolled up the sleeves of his white silk shirt revealing the Dark Mark. threw a bottle of Firewiskey and picked up a large piece from the mess of shattered glass he had created. He stabbed it into the Dark Mark , slitting every part of the visibly black tattoo . The adolescent Ravenclaw felt a stinging pain in her left arm . 

The mist clouded again. It now took the shape of a forest covered with snow. She realized she was seeing Professor Snape's battle memory . The young Professor stood facing Lord Voldemort, both their wands pointed at each other . Suddenly, the Dark Lord started screaming in agony, but before falling to the ground, he pointed his wand at the man standing in front of him and a wave of blue light flew out of his wand, taking the shape of a snake . It was a rather beautifully carved Patronus of a snake with large eyes and a very precisely scaled body . The snake formed high above the ground, it's body doing a dancing motion in the open sky. It suddenly shot a glance at him, and the hissing words poured out as its thin mouth opened and spoke something Seraphina understood completely. She was also a Parselmouth after all . The snake hissingly declared that –   
Severus Snape, you have been cursed by Lord Voldemort to imprint upon a girl that will give you the pain you deserve. 

She saw uncountable memories, and they only gave Professor Snape distress and nothing else. 

It was enough pain for Seraphina to handle at the moment when she herself was going through unquenchable distress . Her body was fading and the mist was dissolving itself, and soon she was outside Batman's brain and back in the Headmaster's office . In front of her stood the man she had vowed not to see the face of a few hours before, but now she felt sad for him. Still, she didn't know what she was supposed to feel: anger , frustration or understanding towards the complexity of the situation . So, had it meant that he saw her reflection because of the curse ? After a long moment of rumbling thoughts , Seraphina decided what to do. Reluctantly, she stepped towards the Potions Master.   
Albus and Minerva gasped audibly as the girl stepped closer to her Professor , the Aspen wood wand tightly gripped in her hand , indicating her readiness for an attack . Their fear was unraveling itself , Seraphina wasn’t convinced of the fact that it wasn’t her Professor’s fault that she had been imprinted upon. 

Severus saw her raven eyes restoring to their original color and that she was stepping towards him. He knew why she was coming closer – to slap him hard . He deserved that after all, how could he expect a sixteen-year-old to understand the complexity of this situation ?I 

In actuality, the amount of maturity and understanding Seraphina had showcased at times had Severus hoping that she would understand this scenario, too , but unfortunately he had been mistaken by his own trust in Seraphina . The Dungeon Master closed his eyes. He had lost the courage to see the hate for himself in those eyes. He felt the collar of his coat being pulled, but he didn't opened his eyes to see the onerous hatred in those black orbs . The few minutes felt like forever to him. To his surprise, neither came the slap nor a question. What came left Severus wordless and flabbergasted . Severus felt a small and fragile figure pressed against his own frame. A pair of delicate arms wrapped around his neck, pulling him into a tight, comforting embrace . The young Professor's eyes opened wide to see Seraphina pressing him into a warm hug . Her embrace wasn’t seeking any comfort, instead it radiated a sense of protection. He felt as if no one – not even the Dark Lord himself--could hurt him now that the girl was with him , near him .

" When was the last time you got hugged , Half - Blood Prince ?" she whispered into his ear. 

Her voice was at the verge of cracking , but despite her endless efforts to control herself, a tear rolled down her cheek. Severus didn't reply. He simply didn’t know what he was suppose to say. Maybe he should thank the girl for understanding his unexplainable situation , but his mind didn’t want to get entangled in the words , so he simply wrapped his muscular arms around her , pulling her even closer to himself . 

Eventually, Severus' muscles relaxed, and he melted into her arms. Never before in his life had the young man felt so comforted . They both stood in each other's arms for a long moment before Albus cleared his throat to tug the duo back to reality. They pulled apart , red-faced as they realized there was an audience spectating the view . The overwhelming feeling caused them to forget that they were standing in the room with four other people, too. 

" I am sorry . I crossed my limits. I shouldn't have let my heart control my mind, " mumbled Seraphina, her head bowed low with embarrassment. 

" Seraphina, don't feel sorry for relieving us from our biggest dilemma," chortled Albus . 

Seraphina gave him a puzzled look . 

" We were scared that you might not understand this situation, but it seems now that you are pretty much sure of what you will do ." explained Minerva.   
“ I don’t know the reason for keeping such information secret from me, but I would like to make a promise to you all, and especially to you, Professor Snape . I don’t know how this will work out. I don’t know if we both will be able to… know …love …each other , but I will be by your side whenever you need me ,” said Seraphina emphatically." But there are a few things I want to clear up before anyone of us leave this office," added the witch.

Albus indicated for her to get seated and then speak. Seraphina obeyed and seated herself on the armchair. 

" I don't know what to feel at this moment, I am not sure of the reason why Lord Voldemort chose me to hurt Professor Snape, because I cannot even in my dreams think of doing something to disappoint him . But I want a favor from you, Professor Snape, and from you all , too, " said the young witch while glancing at the four friends of her destined life partner . 

" I propose that nothing will happen between Professor Snape and me until I am a student here . I would prefer to share the relationship Professor Snape and Miss Barclay shared . My reasons are not personal. I proposed this keeping in mind the social status either if us posses, and the reputation of Hogwarts which we should avoid affecting. I don't want anyone to question Professor Snape’s morals or sanity because of someone so trivial like me , but if you want it otherwise I will not go against you. And yes, please, no other efforts for sparking things up between the two of us," vocalized the witch as she passed the old Wizard a weak but sly smile. 

She shifted her gaze to the young professor standing near her. 

" And for me , I know I am not suited to you, and forgive me for that, but happily, Lord Voldemort clearly made a huge mistake by choosing me for a great man like you. I know it might have disappointed you upon learning that I was the person you were to imprint upon. Can we fall in love? I don't know the answer to that question, but I believe we both could start ...this… with a friendship, then maybe..." Seraphina found herself at a loss of words, but even after being in such an awkward position , she was able to make herself clear .

Severus walked up to her and kneeled on the floor of the office , making himself level with her. He took her shivering hands in his slender fingers and fixed her with a look of compassion .

" I am the one who is unsuitable for you , Miss Barclay . You accepted me, but it took me a lot of time to accept the fact that God has graced me with the most wonderful person on this Earth . I will never in my life do anything that you are against. I respect your decision, and no one - not even my Cupid friends - will force you to do anything against your will, " said Severus in a soft tone , his voice like melted chocolate.

" I promise you that I will never let anyone hurt you anymore," whispered the lovely witch softly with a warm smile . Batman raised her hands and caressed them with his this lips. 

" I thought you both were just friends, " commented Filius with a mirthful smile. 

Severus and Seraphina looked at the four Wizards who were giving them mischievous glances. 

" Professor McGonagall, thanks for giving me the best prom partner ever, and Professor Dumbledore, I thought that was very bold of you to send me to Professor Snape's chambers , but thanks for being so thoughtful," she spoke with a sweet smile playing on her lips. 

The clock chimed as the hands showed twelve. Seraphina's birthday arrived with the most unusual gift she could have received . She met the one destined for her on her seventeenth birthday, and it was no one other than the formidable Professor Snape who had a vulnerable heart that needed compassion and care, but this gift brought a lot of responsibilities with it.

" Happy seventeenth birthday, Seraphina, my dear," declared Albus cheerfully as he rose from behind his desk. 

" Thanks, Headmaster Dumbledore," said Seraphina shyly . 

Everyone in the room wished her a happy birthday. 

" I suppose you two friends should leave for your chambers , it's already midnight, and we have a busy day tomorrow," Dumbledore added. 

The duo agreed and left the office, walking silently towards the Prefect's dorm . Once they approached the painting of the young maiden, Seraphina turned to face her Professor. After a long moment of silence, Seraphina spoke.

" I think I should leave . Good night, Professor Snape," she said awkwardly and turned to leave, but before she could have walked off, she felt his hand grab her arm and pull her towards him. The next moment, she was pressed against the muscular chest of her Professor . Her delicate face buried into the chest. She could clearly hear his heart which was throbbing thunderously .

" I don't know how I could ever thank you for accepting me despite the odds . Thank you for bringing happiness into my life ." The chocolatey voice of Batman whispered in her ears.

It sent goosebumps down her body as her eyes widened . She awkwardly patted his back and waited for him to release her from his grip. Eventually he let go of her fragile figure .

" I...I...don't know what to say . Sir, you are the best man I have ever met in my life, but I just want to say that we shouldn't do anything questionable while I am here as a student - it's just for your sake. I don't want students going around gossiping about you..." Seraphina tried to explain herself as she blushed deeply.

" I appreciate your concern, and I respect your decision , Miss Barclay. Forgive me, for I just crossed my limits because of the overwhelmed feeling I felt on hearing your response, " Severus explained before she could have completed her words. 

The young witch nodded shyly . She vanished inside the entrance hole as Severus left for his Dungeon chamber. 

Seraphina moved to her chamber's bed and sat down , her head leaning on the bedpost . How would she be able to love her Professor Snape ? Never had she ever thought in her wildest dreams that the smart , handsome , logical, and intelligent Batman was the man destined for her--to love her and care for her . Severus Snape was encompassing her thoughts at that moment. But one thought bothered her – would she ever be able to match his personality? There were so many differences between them: he was a man of class ,his Victorian dressing style , the way he presented himself, and the unconventional attractiveness he possessed . She, on the other hand, was a geeky book worm who wore Muggle clothes , always kept her nose buried in a book, and her glasses covered more than half of her small face. She felt as if he deserved someone elegant , alluring, and someone who was not geeky like her. 

While Severus on the other hand was lying on his bed , a smile plastered on his thin lips. The lovely , smart , elegant, and unconventionally charismatic Seraphina filled his mind, and he couldn't have felt any more jovial . 

One thing was certain for the unconventional duo - they both wanted to see a smile on the other's face. 

The snow melted away from over the Hogwarts castle as the third month of the year approached. Nothing much changed for Seraphina ever since the last episode of Valentine's day , but there was still one question left unanswered to the Ravenclaw - the identity of The Half - Blood Prince . The Prince didn't make any other moves after the black roses, which bothered and relieved the witch at the same time. She felt relaxed on knowing the fact that he wasn't interested in her anymore, but what bothered her was the realization that she would not get a chance to know who The Half - Blood Prince was . Severus, on the other hand, was unaware of the fact that the girl felt fascinated by his nickname. He regretted his decision of sending her his decreased mother's favorite flowers . 

Although Albus , Minerva , Filius, and Hagrid had acted as if they agreed with Severus' decision of not manipulating Seraphina into accepting a man 14 years older than she , secretly they all prayed to Merlin , that Seraphina would accept this cumbersome relationship . 

Headmaster Dumbledore appointed a new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher named Christopher Smith Jr . Smith was a fine man of 40 with a medium frame, but there was nothing distinguishable in his personality. Miss Hudson - the History of Magic teacher , despite that fact, showed a great deal of interest in him . Soon, it became normal to observe the duo strolling together or sitting next to each other in the Great Hall , having deep and lengthy conversations . 

Seraphina felt happy for the new pair. Only a little fraction of the reason for her merriment was Miss Hudson's new-found exhilaration , mostly she was contented to see that now at least the new teacher wouldn't mind giving her any special attention .

Severus, on the other hand, didn’t mind the presence of the new teacher because his mind was already preoccupied with the thought of the Ravenclaw's reaction on knowing about the Curse of Forbidden Love . The young Professor worried that he might lose the most wonderful person in his life, but he didn't posses the courage to lie to her. Her dusky eyes always held a look of sadness in them .Warmth , mysteriousness , sadness and curiosity always played a playfully fluid dance in those eyes . It was impossible for the Potions Master to lie when she looked at him with those truth seeking orbs. It felt to him like he was betraying himself by lying to the girl who deserved all the happiness the world could grace her with . At first, the man who took down the Dark Lord was scared to like Seraphina, but now he was scared to cause her pain and suffering because he had started to like , admire, and adore her .

ልረልክ

It was the first day of March. After attending all her lectures the young witch didn't go to the library like she usually did in her normal routine. Instead, she walked down the corridor leading her towards the gargoyle of the Headmaster's office on the seventh floor of the castle . 

Severus made his way towards Albus' office as well. He needed to talk to the old wizard about how they would tell Seraphina about the imprinting curse when his eyes fell on her delicate figure descending the staircase of the Gargoyle , lost in her own thoughts. She passed him without even noticing his presence . Severus hurried into the office without even bothering to ask for the Headmaster's permission . 

" What happened to Miss Barclay ? " asked Severus at once. 

" I thought we weren't allowed to intrude in her personal affairs ." commented Albus in a mirthful tone .

" Oh Merlin ! For once can you please keep your sarcastic attitude out of this, and tell me what happened to her. She looked lost," said the young Wizard impatiently. 

" Nothing much to worry about, my dear friend. She just came to ask for my permission to leave the castle this evening," said Albus as if stating the obvious. 

" And you gave a student - especially Seraphina , the permission to leave the castle?! She is a Merlin awardee for God's sake , Albus ! Didn't you see her? She looked so lost. I doubt you should have let her leave the vicinity of the castle when you know the remaining Death Eaters might be looking for her. They are thirsty for her blood," spat Severus in a mixed expression of anger and concern. 

Albus silently listened to what the young Professor said. He was amused by the perturb he was exhibiting towards the girl .

" I don't remember clearly when you showed this amount of care for anyone , Severus . Does that indicate anything significant?" came a cunning reply from behind the desk . " And besides that, you needn't worry about Seraphina. She is very capable of handling her emotions and herself very prudently, " he added .

" Where has she gone?" asked Severus, ignoring the assertion put forward by the Headmaster. 

" I promised Miss Barclay to not to tell anyone where she is going. It's something personal ." said Albus calmly. 

" I have every right to know where has she gone . " said the Dungeon master. " Ok, listen Albus , although you are right that I have no right to ask you this, but please tell me where has she gone because my heart doesn’t believe that she is in the frame of mind to handle herself," he added. 

" Greenhaven Woodland Church, " said the man with crescent moon glasses. 

" But..." the word left Severus' thin lips, but he was cut off by Albus before he could speak any further .

" Please forgive me , my dear Severus, but I cannot tell you the reason because there are some promises I am bound by," explained Albus .

Severus left the office at once without another word. His long legs carrying him as quickly as they could , towards the black entrance gate of the castle . Outside the black iron gate he didn't find Seraphina as he has expected . The raven yew-wood wand tightly gripped in his lean fingers , his mind concentrated on the location where the witch has went . Soon a opaque sphere of black mist encompassed his black figure, and eventually he felt his body being pushed through a tight and narrow rubber tube. The years of Apparating made him immune to the ill effects of the magical way of traveling long distance in no time . He didn't feel anything more than a tingle in his gut, and in a split second, that was gone too . 

Severus appeared on a cement pavement. Subsequently, he realized he landed on the pavement of a Muggle street. On his right sat a line of seventeenth century two-story buildings with numerous shops on the lower floors . On his left was a large field with a building standing by itself. Up high there was the purple-gray spire of a church and the irregular form of an old building. The building before him was beautiful, old stone and stained glass . Besides the lonely building there was nothing but a huge field. 

The Muggles walking down the street eyed him suspiciously because of the Wizarding robes he wore . He scanned the street for a barren or isolated alley, and successfully found one close to his right. Briskly, he entered the dark alley and pulled out his raven wand. With a flick , a downpour of bright golden light encircled him, and the next moment the frock coat was transfigured into a long overcoat, and his cloak was refashioned into a jet-black scarf loosely wrapped around his neck. He cautiously left his trousers and shoes the way they were . 

Severus paced out of the dark alley he was standing in , noticing the windy weather outside the eerie alley. As the young Professor walked towards the grandiose iron gate of the church , his black orbs fell on a figure known to him. He saw Seraphina descending down the staircase of a flower shop with a beautiful bouquet of white tulips held in her delicate hands. She still looked lost and sad to him . The Ravenclaw meandered towards the church with a lost look on her face. Severus didn't want to stalk the witch, but the curiosity of knowing what a young girl such as herself was doing in a church filled him, and he was certain that only here he would get the answer to his question of why she was sad. Reluctantly he followed . 

Seraphina didn't walk on the sandstone path laid past the grass of the grounds , directing towards the church building. Instead, she ambled towards the multitudinous graves that stood erected on the field. Eventually she reached her destination, as she belayed near one such stone grave, placing the white tulips next to another bouquet of white flowers in front of the erected stone. She kneeled on the ground then folded her hands in front of her chest and intertwining her thin fingers. After muttering something under her breath, she stood back up . 

Severus contemplated her every move from a distance, but an urge to go near her was growing inside him. His attempts to suppress it had penurious results . So, he walked up to the position to be within earshot. Now he could hear what she said without attracting any attention to himself. 

" How are you, Mum " the voice of Seraphina erupted out of the blue . Her voice was filled with compassion and warmth as always . " I miss you. Even Daniel misses you . You know the Ministry awarded me an Order of Merlin , First Class, but I still don't know if I deserve that . I went to Hogwarts as you asked me to, and thanks for making me go to that amazing place. I don't know if I would have liked it at Beauxbatons. I surely wouldn't have found friends like Luc, Eley and George there . Well, at last I met Professor Snape in person , but I still don't know why you didn't let me meet him earlier . Well let’s put that aside , I want to tell him that I am luckiest girl on this Earth, Mum. You know who took me to the Yule Ball? Well, it was Professor Snape," said the girl with a chortle . 

" Mom, although I am not upset with you for leaving me so soon, was it necessary to leave your little Seraphina alone all by herself? Of course as you always said, everyone has their own angels in life. Daniel is mine. " The witch sniffed as she unsuccessfully tried to hold back the tears from falling . 

" Why did you leave me? First Dad, then you. Why ? Am I so bad? I don't know how I will be able to keep myself sane if all these things keep happening to me . " The words left her lips in no more than a whisper as she wept , but soon she composed herself and wiped the tears from her cheeks .

"Never mind. I am such a crybaby at times . Well, thank you for being such an amazing mother . I love you, " the witch told her as she stood there rooted in place for a few moments before walking off towards the longevous church . 

Severus watched the girl with a lot of uncertainty. He didn't know why he hadn’t gone to console her when she cried in front of that grave . Maybe, deep inside his heart he knew that his presence would only constrict the pain Seraphina was letting out . 

Habitually, everyone saw Seraphina as the girl who never suffered, and the girl for whom life was far more easy than others, but in actuality, the girl had gone through as much suffering as any other person had gone through. Maybe even more. The only difference was that others mourned publicly over their misery so the world knew theirs, but this girl kept the distress to herself and tried to spread as much happiness as she could . Severus felt it right to let the Ravenclaw let out her pain .

The lovely witch was in no condition to notice the presence of any living being, especially her formidable Professor, even more so when he was wearing Muggle clothes , so she walked past him without realizing who he was . She briskly strolled up to the church and walked into the old structure. Again, Severus hesitated to follow her up, but something inside him forced him to against his will. Moving into the passage, he wondered whether this quiet air, filled with the scent of incense , candles, and the more solidly anglican smell of musty prayer books, metal polish and flowers and the brightly lit passage with it's floor of encaustic tiles and its white-painted walls ran the whole west end of the church. 

As the Dungeon Master's eyes fell on the far end of the praying hall of the church, he saw no one except the fragile figure of Seraphina kneeling on the step near the large statue of the Lord Jesus hung by a wooden cross . Something invisible was pushing him towards the girl as he reluctantly took every step towards her. Before he could have realized it, he was standing near the praying figure of the young witch. 

" God won't judge you no matter what you ask him for , my child," a voice whispered in his ears as he turned to face a middle-aged man in black robes . 

" But I don't know what to pray for, " replied the young Wizard in whispers . 

" So, just thank God for all he has graced you with, " whispered the priest and strolled away as mysteriously as he appeared. 

Severus didn't kneel down to pray. He wasn't sure what he would ask thanks for. Lily had chosen James above him , his parents had died before he had even turned old enough to sustain himself ,then the curse by Lord Voldemort had caused him to imprint upon Seraphina, whom he didn't deserve . 

But he was thankful to Him for sending friends like Minerva, Albus , Filius, and Hagrid into his life, and Seraphina was probably the best thing that had happened to him . The Professor wordlessly sat on the rear wooden bench. He didn't know what he was supposed to do next. He didn't want to stalk the Ravenclaw witch anymore, but he wasn't sure whether she should be left on her own or not, because he still feared the Death Eaters would attack her . 

" Oh, Professor Snape ! I didn't knew you were here, too," a soft , warm voice fell on his ears, tugging him out of his ocean of thoughts. He raised his head to see Seraphina standing near , her eyes puffy and her cheeks stained from tears . 

" You aren't the only one who has permission to leave the castle , Miss Barclay, " he replied calmly .

" Well, I know it's very impolite to ask, but what are doing here - in a church ?" asked the witch with a hesitant tone. 

" Student’s safety is Hogwarts first concern , Miss Barclay . You may not care for your safety and status , but it might have escaped your notice that there are people who care for you and your feelings ," said Batman . " But I should be the one to ask what are you doing here , Miss Barclay?" questioned Severus. 

" I...I...I...just came... for some... enlightenment, " she stuttered .

" And what was your enlightenment? " he questioned. " Lying is something you perform very poorly," he added without giving her a chance to answer. 

A long pause of silence came over them. It was Severus who broke the fragile silence with his cavernous voice. 

" I hope you have paid your homage to your mother ." 

The girl wordlessly nodded in her reply . 

" What did you asked God for ?" 

" Nothing. I just thanked him for everything.” She eyed him speculatively. “So, you mean to say that Headmaster Dumbledore sent you to keep an eye on me. " said the adolescent witch without looking at him . 

“ Miss Barclay, I know some matters are personal and require your and only your presence there, but I must express my disappointment on you . A student such as yourself isn’t expected to act so ignorantly when you know there are Death Eaters who want to see you beheaded for getting 11 of their members arrested . And I doubt you want another photograph of yours on the front page of the Daily Prophet with another silly made up faux story,” said the Potions Master with a visibly disappointed look on his slender , pale face . He stood up from the wooden bench to face the young witch.   
“ I doubt I need any security , sir . I am capable enough to keep myself safe from any threat, “ said the witch sternly . “ But why would the Daily Prophet be stalking me ?” she asked with an astounded look on her face . 

" I think you should say yes," another voice made itself heard. Severus recognized it as the voice of the priest who suggested him to pray earlier. The duo turned to face the old man mirthfully smiling at them . 

" May I beg your pardon, Father, " said Seraphina. 

" It's rare to see a couple proposing in church , my child. I think you should say yes to the young man," declared the priest as he walked up towards the pair . Seraphina turned as red as she could get. The comment was awkwardly funny and utterly embarrassing . 

“ I am speechless at your interpretation, Father. Forgive me for I need to excuse myself from the company of you gentlemen,” exclaimed Seraphina hurriedly as she paced towards the large door which had been wide open from which streamed the fading sunlight of the sunset. 

" Ah... Father...it is nothing like that . I...we...there is nothing like that between us, " Severus muttered quietly.

" Lord, forgive me ! I just misinterpreted the whole scene . Forgive me, my child, " pleaded the priest . " Please ask for her forgiveness on my behalf, young man," he added as he turned to walk away. 

Severus stood there for a few moments, dumbstruck by the comment of the priest but soon he followed Seraphina's path and exited the old structure. He saw the young girl standing near the iron gate all by herself, her face was still red from embarrassment . 

" He said sorry to you , Miss Barclay, " said Severus as he approached the girl . 

The Ravenclaw gave him a long look. Her visage was stony. Abruptly she broke into fits of embarrassed laughter. Her Professor joined in, but they both didn't uttered a single word about the incident. Subsequently, the Potions Master composed himself and extended his hands towards her which received him a look of bafflement from the laughing girl. 

" We need to Apparate back to the castle , Miss Barclay, " he declared solemnly. 

Seraphina too, composed herself and held her Professor's hand delicately. Soon the mist formed, and in the blink of an eye, they were at the iron gates of Hogwarts castle . Severus narrowly eyed his companion who had a sick look on her face. 

" Are you okay, Miss Barclay ?" inquired Batman . 

" I think so, " replied the witch .

Seraphina was lucky that this time Apparating hadn’t made her vomit. She felt relaxed after a few minutes of nausea . Once inside the castle, they both parted ways with an unspoken promise to keep the priest's comment a secret .

While Severus was on his way to the Dungeons, he saw Albus climbing the stairs directing towards the Dungeon . His old face gleamed at the sight of his young colleague .

" Oh, Severus, did you find out why Seraphina went to the graveyard? " asked the old wizard. 

" I am sorry Albus, but I am not a stalker " spat the young man . 

" Then why are you wearing Muggle clothes, my dear Severus? " added Albus cunningly. 

Severus realized too late that he was still wearing those transfigured clothes . 

" Okay, I went after her , but it was just for her safety. My heart wasn't convinced that she would be all right by herself, " he replied defeatedly . 

" Well my plan worked well , I assume," declared Albus with a mirthful smirk. 

He knew Severus would have followed up with a question so he continued without giving the young Wizard a chance to speak.

" I am as much concerned about her safety as you are . So, I just lied to you about not knowing her intentions. I was sure that you would have gone after her and hence, both my purpose were served . I ensured that she was safe with you, and you got yet another chance to know who Seraphina really is, " he added. 

Severus was mute for a brief moment .

" Why is it that you feel that you know what is best for everyone , Albus? What was the need to lie to me? You could have asked me to follow her directly; I would have never said no to you," fumed the Dungeon Master. 

" She would have never agreed to the proposal of going to her mother's grave under a teacher's surveillance , Severus . And you would have never been able to see her real pain if she would have had the knowledge of your presence," replied the Wizard with the crescent moon glasses. 

Severus acknowledged the fact that every word he spoke was right, but still a small part of his heart was still annoyed by Albus' acts. 

" You shouldn't have told her that the priest asked for her forgiveness, " the fading voice of Albus fell on his ears . 

" How did you know about that, Albus ?" questioned the young man as he turned towards the robes that were swaying behind the old Wizard. " Please tell me you weren't behind that also?" he pleaded. 

" Listen, Severus, I promised you I would do whatever I could to spark things between you two, and that was all that I did there. Why don't you understand that you two look adorable together?" said the old wizard. 

" We talked about it Albus: nothing before she graduates from here, " added Severus with the slightest hint of frustrated in his tone. 

Neither of them uttered another syllable, and both went on their way because both knew it was an endless and futile debate. 

ልረልክ 

The promise was sustained faithfully by the Ravenclaw Prefect and the Dungeon Master. The days passed by like the bristling of leaves and soon only one night was left before Seraphina's birthday, but little did the adolescent girl know that the night would change her life forever. The witch was ignorant to the fact that her already topsy – turvy life would get shattered in a split second, but she would also find the one who would help her glue back every part .

On the night of the 9th of March, the young witch was on her way to the fourth floor corridor of the west wing as a part of her patrolling duty . Her headphones were tucked into her ears as she strolled down the corridor humming the lyrics of the songs playing on her iPod . While striding along leisurely, her eyes fell upon the door of a classroom that was half open. She peeked in to ensure that it was empty but to her surprise inside the empty classroom was standing Batman in front of a very large mirror . His face was fixed at the reflection in the mirror. He raised his left hand and caressed the reflecting glass as if he was caressing a person. His slender, pale face had a saddened expression on it. 

Why was Batman sad to see his own reflection ? Many more questions erupted in Seraphina's mind. She tried to figure out the reason for his distress . The picturesque memory of the page of a book – “ Magical Creations “ came to mind. She remembered reading from the book in the Restricted Section of the library , about a mirror showing the person his greatest fears . The thought stuck her that it might be the same mirror, but still uncertainty overshadowed her . 

Finally, she decided to do what she hated to. She would be entering Batman's mind to see what was the reflection showing him . Seraphina relaxed her mind, and in no time her raven orbs started fading, and the crystal blue color took their place. Her whole body was fading and the sight looked like she was being sucked into oblivion. Everything around her turned shiny white , then all of a sudden, everything surrounding her started to turn misty and dark. She was inside Batman's brain now . In front of her was the same room she was peering into previously, but now she was standing nowhere near the door. Instead, she was standing near the stained window of the barren classroom. in front of her stood the misty figure of Professor Snape. A sad feeling came over her out of the blue - she was feeling what her Professor was feeling right now .

Pushing the distressed feeling aside, the girl stepped towards the mirror, but the sight which greeted her left her in a state of utter shock . In the reflection of the mirror, Professor Snape wasn’t alone, but a girl stood there in front of him. His robes were also different from what he was actually wearing . The image in front of her wasn't stationary , neither was it obeying any laws of reflection the young Ravenclaw had studied about. On the contrary, the image in the mirror showed a whole other scene – a scene one could fantasize about . 

Batman's reflection was wearing a white silk shirt and black trousers, while the girl standing in front of her just had a black silk bedsheet loosely draped around her rather skinny form. The sheet covering her was so loosely draped around her breast that the silk dropped low near her back , showing her attractive and aesthetic back on exposition. Batman’s eyes were inundated with compassion . Eventually, the tall figure of Batman wrapped his muscular arms around the delicate figure of the girl, pulling her closer to himself , his hands caressing the soft waist of the female. Then he leaned in so that his lips was caressing the girl's. The girl draped in black silk reciprocated his caress. In a delicate manner, the lady in black raised her hand and pulled her fingers slowly through Professor Snape’s jet black hair, and they both shared a passionate kiss . Seraphina felt awkward entering her teacher's mind and seeing such a personal and vulnerable memory of his, making her regret her decision , so, she turned her back towards the mirror and focused her mind to prepare herself to retreat from his mind when a very known and similar voice fell on her ears. It sent goosebumps down her body . 

" I love you , Severus," the possessor of the voice said breathlessly. The voice seemed unnaturally similar to her own - for once it felt to the adolescent witch as if it was her own voice, but she also knew it was impossible so she turned back to face the large mirror, and what she saw anaesthetized her mind . 

For the first time ever since she had entered the teacher’s brain did she intimately espied the features of the girl . Her hair was as black as the most pure of velvety nights with a slight wave at the tail end falling on her shoulders. A pair of black glasses was placed on the top of her nose , the short round face resembled her own was outlined by the effervescent moonlight falling into the room from the stained glass . Although it was impossible to believe, the reflection was unquestionably hers own . 

" I love you too , Seraphina, " the deeply enticing voice of Severus Snape made itself clear. 

The couple was still inches from each other . Professor Snape couldn’t see something like this in the mirror . It wasn’t possible. He didn’t like her - no he couldn’t like her. Uncountable similar thoughts raced through her mind as she hastily escaped Batman's brain . Once she was not in the world of his memories , she ran. She ran as if Lord Voldemort himself was after her life, and she was obliged to run for her life like a poltroon , instead of dying like the brave warrior she was. It felt to her as if she heard a fading sound of her Professor calling her from behind, but she had lost the courage to face the man she had admired her whole life. 

He had promised that he would never hurt her, but his desire to kiss her – a 16 year old school girl , narrated a different story . Seraphina ran outside the castle straight into the dark , menacingly eerie forbidden forest . The memories from a few days prior flashed in front of her. Something very similar to this had happened with her. Lockhart - a teacher--confessed his love for her, and now another Professor was seeing a reflection of himself kissing her . The witch's brain was numbing at an alarming rate, but she couldn't afford to let the emotions take over her mind. She needed to compose herself and ready herself for whatever unknown would come in her path . The Prefect decided to report this incident straight to Headmaster Dumbledore, but before knocking on the door of the Headmaster’s office she needed to quell the volcano of emotions that had erupted inside her . 

Diverting her mind away from Professor Snape was important. His face, which was constantly coming in front of her eyes , was sending a throbbing pain down her chest. How could the man she assumed to be the most noble man she could have crossed paths with , think like that of her? Why was she the only one men found worthy of their attention and lust? There was nothing special about her; neither did she possess a beautiful face, nor was she the most attractive girl in the whole school. Her dressing sense was more elegant than bold. First Noah , then Lockhart and now Professor Snape. The last one was not even someone the young witch had thought would do something like this to her . Why was life being so cruel to her? Seraphina feared she would not be able to keep herself composed any further now that the same thing was happening to her the third time .

Seraphina was too late to realize that her aimless sprinting brought her to the middle of the menacingly dark forest. She was surrounded by a layer of thick forest filled with treacherous and savage creatures on all sides . She paled as if she'd been painted with white-wash. Even her lips were barely there. Then with one step backwards, she crumpled like a puppet suddenly released of their strings on the dirt covered ground .

ልረልክ

The Mirror of Erised was a creation of Wizards that showed you your greatest desire . The Mirror of Erised was an ancient, ornate mirror. It had clawed feet and a gold frame inscribed with the phrase “ Erised stra ehru oyt ube cafru oyt on wohsi.” The mirror showed the most desperate desire of a person’s heart; a vision that has been known to drive men mad. Mad wasn’t the most appropriate word, but the mirror did give him the only ray of hope he had in his darkened world – Seraphina.

Severus was making rounds when he saw the poltergeist - Peeves bursting out of one classroom with tears falling from the eyes . The sight was rare. Peeves was usually the creature that caused others to cry, but seeing the Poltergeist cry made the young man curious to know what caused him to shed it's tears. He entered the classroom which had a large mirror kept in its center . He knew about the Magical phenomena which caused many great Wizards and Witches to destroy themselves because they had lost the will to live once they had tasted the fantasy of living in their dreams . 

But what was his own deepest desire ? The question intrigued him. He walked up to the mirror to get his answer , but what the reflection displayed saddened him . It wasn't a lie that his greatest desire was Seraphina's affection, but he knew that was far from happening. Why would she choose him over the charismatic boys out there who would give everything to have her as their girlfriend . But the reflection consoled him at the same time. Maybe not in the real world, but at least in the world of the Enchanted mirror he would be graced with her . 

The whole world went black for Severus as his eyes fell on Seraphina’s figure standing near the half-open door of the barren classroom , her eyes unnaturally crystalline blue instead of the natural raven color of it. He realized what was going on. Seraphina had entered his mind and had seen what the Mirror of Erised had shown him--his greatest desire was Seraphina's affection and acceptance . Seraphina's eyes returned to their authentic dark color and in the blink of an eye she was running away from him. He called for her to tell her the truth, but she was gone. Severus wanted to follow, but his body wasn't coordinating with the mind . Everything collapsed in front him. He felt cold as fear augmented inside of him. He could see the clear vision of Seraphina fixing him with a loathing look and then, out of blue, she disappeared, leaving his world barren and dark .

The young Professor stood still for God knows how long. It felt to him like he was losing the will to live. He was supposed to love Seraphina for his entire life. From the beginning it had hardly a chance of working out, but now it was impossible , seeing that the lovely witch would never accept him . The sadness that had come over him was sending a stinging pain down his chest as if he was being repeatedly stabbed by a sharp dagger . 

Suddenly the sound of wing flattering tugged him out if his deep thoughts. The sound came from an owl hovering above his head. The brown owl dropped a piece of parchment near him and flew away . Severus picked up the parchment. It was from Albus, and it read - 

Severus I want you in my office this very instant. We need to tell Seraphina everything . 

Albus 

The stinging pain in his chest proliferated as he read the last line of the note , but he knew it was important to do so now that Seraphina has seen something she should have known a lot earlier. 

Sighing heavily, he made his way towards the office of Headmaster Dumbledore on the seventh floor . Before knocking at the door of the office he hesitated, but neither could he change what would happen nor could he keep this a secret from her anymore. Knocking on the door softly, he entered the office which was crowded with his friends and a figure sitting in front of the fire, a warm red quilt loosely wrapped around her. Her gaze fixed at the riotous flames of the fire . 

Minerva stood near her protectively . No one in the room looked impressed or merry , neither were they disappointed or angry . Everyone in the room looked disquieted except for Seraphina. Cold contempt overshadowed her delicate face as her dead eyes tried to ignore the newly entered man in the room. 

" Seraphina , there is something we need to tell you about . It's very complicated, and we won't blame you if you hex anyone of us or express your anger. You have the right to do so ." the calm voice of Albus Dumbledore filled in the room from behind his desk. 

Seraphina shifted her gaze from the flames to the old Wizard. Her eyes were empty and her face stony. 

" I know he is a Order of Merlin and a friend of yours, and you care for his respect . Headmaster, I am not asking you for any favor like firing him or anything similar to that . I simply wanted to inform you of this, and I would like to leave Hogwarts once and for all. I cannot keep myself sane if things keep repeating themselves, " declared the Ravenclaw in an emotionless voice . “ And now that someone whom I trusted and admired my whole life has other expectations from me , which I cannot agree with, I would like to stay isolated from the Wizarding world,” she added .

" I understand your anger, Seraphina, but please give us a chance to explain this situation, for once . Things aren’t the way they seem to be. Severus doesn't lust upon you – he is a man of honor , my dear " interrupted Minerva . The girl shot her a cold glance .

" Whatever the Patronus-like thing of the snake said to you was not a joke by Peeves; it was the truth that we have kept secret from you, and the Patronus-like thing was sent by the Dark Lord," declared Albus in a stern voice. 

Seraphina's raven eyes widened at the statement of the old Wizard. How could that be possible? The Dark Lord had perished ten years earlier. How could he send anything resembling a Patronus? What would the darkest wizard ever born want from a invaluable girl such as herself? 

" Ten years ago when Severus killed the Dark Lord , Riddle hexed him with a curse called the Curse of Forbidden Love before dying . Poor Severus was forced to imprint upon one that Lord Voldemort would choose for him," said Minerva rigidly .

" And you were the one You - Know - Who chose for him . Severus cannot control this, otherwise he wouldn't have done it . It's not his fault," added Filius dejectedly . 

Headmaster Dumbledore narrated the whole tale for her . What she heard gave her an insuppressible urge to hex anything around her or punch something hard .  
Seraphina fell on the armchair kept near her. She couldn't believe what her teachers were saying . Professor Snape had imprinted upon her the day she came here … Lord Voldemort had chosen her to cause hurt and sadden Batman … She had heard the name of the Curse of Forbidden Love from her mother once or twice, but she never knew this would happen to her . 

Finally, she rose from the armchair and stepped towards her Professor clad in black , her wand tightly gripped in her delicate hands as if she was ready to hex the man standing in front of her .

" I want to..." she mumbled weakly, but before she could have completed her statement, Batman cut her off. 

" Yes, " he simply said. The Ravenclaw nodded in reply. 

Things were repeating themselves. She was again fading, and it seemed like she was being sucked to oblivion. Soon everything surrounding her turned dark and misty . She was no longer in the Headmaster's office, but inside a small attic room which was dark and shabby. A small bed was placed at the far end of the room where a little boy with long black hair sat with a torn book. His clothes were worn and his eyes were cast down with sadness . Abruptly, a loud shriek filled the room , scaring both Seraphina and little Severus. The scared boy ran towards the door. The witch followed. The shrieking noise was coming from downstairs where a man had pinned a woman who resembled Professor Snape, against the wall. Both the younglings peered down from the top of the spiraling stairs. The man shouted something inaudible, and then the sound of hitting , slapping and punching was followed by the sounds of a pleading woman. Little Professor Snape gasped and ran back to his room , fear shadowing his innocent, childlike face . 

Seraphina also felt scared, but she wanted to stop the man from assaulting the woman, and she also wanted to confront the little boy. Sadly it wasn't possible as she was inside her Professor's memories, and nothing could be changed here. 

Subsequently the mist changed its form to another scene of Batman who looked in his early twenties . The surroundings transfigured into a room similar to Professor Snape's chamber , but the difference was it was very untidy and smelly . The door thudded open, and a visibly angry man stomped in. With the entry of the man, Seraphina felt a rage of anger flowing inside her . The younger version of Professor Snape threw his frock coat away and rolled up the sleeves of his white silk shirt revealing the Dark Mark. threw a bottle of Firewiskey and picked up a large piece from the mess of shattered glass he had created. He stabbed it into the Dark Mark , slitting every part of the visibly black tattoo . The adolescent Ravenclaw felt a stinging pain in her left arm . 

The mist clouded again. It now took the shape of a forest covered with snow. She realized she was seeing Professor Snape's battle memory . The young Professor stood facing Lord Voldemort, both their wands pointed at each other . Suddenly, the Dark Lord started screaming in agony, but before falling to the ground, he pointed his wand at the man standing in front of him and a wave of blue light flew out of his wand, taking the shape of a snake . It was a rather beautifully carved Patronus of a snake with large eyes and a very precisely scaled body . The snake formed high above the ground, it's body doing a dancing motion in the open sky. It suddenly shot a glance at him, and the hissing words poured out as its thin mouth opened and spoke something Seraphina understood completely. She was also a Parselmouth after all . The snake hissingly declared that –   
Severus Snape, you have been cursed by Lord Voldemort to imprint upon a girl that will give you the pain you deserve. 

She saw uncountable memories, and they only gave Professor Snape distress and nothing else. 

It was enough pain for Seraphina to handle at the moment when she herself was going through unquenchable distress . Her body was fading and the mist was dissolving itself, and soon she was outside Batman's brain and back in the Headmaster's office . In front of her stood the man she had vowed not to see the face of a few hours before, but now she felt sad for him. Still, she didn't know what she was supposed to feel: anger , frustration or understanding towards the complexity of the situation . So, had it meant that he saw her reflection because of the curse ? After a long moment of rumbling thoughts , Seraphina decided what to do. Reluctantly, she stepped towards the Potions Master.   
Albus and Minerva gasped audibly as the girl stepped closer to her Professor , the Aspen wood wand tightly gripped in her hand , indicating her readiness for an attack . Their fear was unraveling itself , Seraphina wasn’t convinced of the fact that it wasn’t her Professor’s fault that she had been imprinted upon. 

Severus saw her raven eyes restoring to their original color and that she was stepping towards him. He knew why she was coming closer – to slap him hard . He deserved that after all, how could he expect a sixteen-year-old to understand the complexity of this situation ?I 

In actuality, the amount of maturity and understanding Seraphina had showcased at times had Severus hoping that she would understand this scenario, too , but unfortunately he had been mistaken by his own trust in Seraphina . The Dungeon Master closed his eyes. He had lost the courage to see the hate for himself in those eyes. He felt the collar of his coat being pulled, but he didn't opened his eyes to see the onerous hatred in those black orbs . The few minutes felt like forever to him. To his surprise, neither came the slap nor a question. What came left Severus wordless and flabbergasted . Severus felt a small and fragile figure pressed against his own frame. A pair of delicate arms wrapped around his neck, pulling him into a tight, comforting embrace . The young Professor's eyes opened wide to see Seraphina pressing him into a warm hug . Her embrace wasn’t seeking any comfort, instead it radiated a sense of protection. He felt as if no one – not even the Dark Lord himself--could hurt him now that the girl was with him , near him .

" When was the last time you got hugged , Half - Blood Prince ?" she whispered into his ear. 

Her voice was at the verge of cracking , but despite her endless efforts to control herself, a tear rolled down her cheek. Severus didn't reply. He simply didn’t know what he was suppose to say. Maybe he should thank the girl for understanding his unexplainable situation , but his mind didn’t want to get entangled in the words , so he simply wrapped his muscular arms around her , pulling her even closer to himself . 

Eventually, Severus' muscles relaxed, and he melted into her arms. Never before in his life had the young man felt so comforted . They both stood in each other's arms for a long moment before Albus cleared his throat to tug the duo back to reality. They pulled apart , red-faced as they realized there was an audience spectating the view . The overwhelming feeling caused them to forget that they were standing in the room with four other people, too. 

" I am sorry . I crossed my limits. I shouldn't have let my heart control my mind, " mumbled Seraphina, her head bowed low with embarrassment. 

" Seraphina, don't feel sorry for relieving us from our biggest dilemma," chortled Albus . 

Seraphina gave him a puzzled look . 

" We were scared that you might not understand this situation, but it seems now that you are pretty much sure of what you will do ." explained Minerva.   
“ I don’t know the reason for keeping such information secret from me, but I would like to make a promise to you all, and especially to you, Professor Snape . I don’t know how this will work out. I don’t know if we both will be able to… know …love …each other , but I will be by your side whenever you need me ,” said Seraphina emphatically." But there are a few things I want to clear up before anyone of us leave this office," added the witch.

Albus indicated for her to get seated and then speak. Seraphina obeyed and seated herself on the armchair. 

" I don't know what to feel at this moment, I am not sure of the reason why Lord Voldemort chose me to hurt Professor Snape, because I cannot even in my dreams think of doing something to disappoint him . But I want a favor from you, Professor Snape, and from you all , too, " said the young witch while glancing at the four friends of her destined life partner . 

" I propose that nothing will happen between Professor Snape and me until I am a student here . I would prefer to share the relationship Professor Snape and Miss Barclay shared . My reasons are not personal. I proposed this keeping in mind the social status either if us posses, and the reputation of Hogwarts which we should avoid affecting. I don't want anyone to question Professor Snape’s morals or sanity because of someone so trivial like me , but if you want it otherwise I will not go against you. And yes, please, no other efforts for sparking things up between the two of us," vocalized the witch as she passed the old Wizard a weak but sly smile. 

She shifted her gaze to the young professor standing near her. 

" And for me , I know I am not suited to you, and forgive me for that, but happily, Lord Voldemort clearly made a huge mistake by choosing me for a great man like you. I know it might have disappointed you upon learning that I was the person you were to imprint upon. Can we fall in love? I don't know the answer to that question, but I believe we both could start ...this… with a friendship, then maybe..." Seraphina found herself at a loss of words, but even after being in such an awkward position , she was able to make herself clear .

Severus walked up to her and kneeled on the floor of the office , making himself level with her. He took her shivering hands in his slender fingers and fixed her with a look of compassion .

" I am the one who is unsuitable for you , Miss Barclay . You accepted me, but it took me a lot of time to accept the fact that God has graced me with the most wonderful person on this Earth . I will never in my life do anything that you are against. I respect your decision, and no one - not even my Cupid friends - will force you to do anything against your will, " said Severus in a soft tone , his voice like melted chocolate.

" I promise you that I will never let anyone hurt you anymore," whispered the lovely witch softly with a warm smile . Batman raised her hands and caressed them with his this lips. 

" I thought you both were just friends, " commented Filius with a mirthful smile. 

Severus and Seraphina looked at the four Wizards who were giving them mischievous glances. 

" Professor McGonagall, thanks for giving me the best prom partner ever, and Professor Dumbledore, I thought that was very bold of you to send me to Professor Snape's chambers , but thanks for being so thoughtful," she spoke with a sweet smile playing on her lips. 

The clock chimed as the hands showed twelve. Seraphina's birthday arrived with the most unusual gift she could have received . She met the one destined for her on her seventeenth birthday, and it was no one other than the formidable Professor Snape who had a vulnerable heart that needed compassion and care, but this gift brought a lot of responsibilities with it.

" Happy seventeenth birthday, Seraphina, my dear," declared Albus cheerfully as he rose from behind his desk. 

" Thanks, Headmaster Dumbledore," said Seraphina shyly . 

Everyone in the room wished her a happy birthday. 

" I suppose you two friends should leave for your chambers , it's already midnight, and we have a busy day tomorrow," Dumbledore added. 

The duo agreed and left the office, walking silently towards the Prefect's dorm . Once they approached the painting of the young maiden, Seraphina turned to face her Professor. After a long moment of silence, Seraphina spoke.

" I think I should leave . Good night, Professor Snape," she said awkwardly and turned to leave, but before she could have walked off, she felt his hand grab her arm and pull her towards him. The next moment, she was pressed against the muscular chest of her Professor . Her delicate face buried into the chest. She could clearly hear his heart which was throbbing thunderously .

" I don't know how I could ever thank you for accepting me despite the odds . Thank you for bringing happiness into my life ." The chocolatey voice of Batman whispered in her ears.

It sent goosebumps down her body as her eyes widened . She awkwardly patted his back and waited for him to release her from his grip. Eventually he let go of her fragile figure .

" I...I...don't know what to say . Sir, you are the best man I have ever met in my life, but I just want to say that we shouldn't do anything questionable while I am here as a student - it's just for your sake. I don't want students going around gossiping about you..." Seraphina tried to explain herself as she blushed deeply.

" I appreciate your concern, and I respect your decision , Miss Barclay. Forgive me, for I just crossed my limits because of the overwhelmed feeling I felt on hearing your response, " Severus explained before she could have completed her words. 

The young witch nodded shyly . She vanished inside the entrance hole as Severus left for his Dungeon chamber. 

Seraphina moved to her chamber's bed and sat down , her head leaning on the bedpost . How would she be able to love her Professor Snape ? Never had she ever thought in her wildest dreams that the smart , handsome , logical, and intelligent Batman was the man destined for her--to love her and care for her . Severus Snape was encoThe snow melted away from over the Hogwarts castle as the third month of the year approached. Nothing much changed for Seraphina ever since the last episode of Valentine's day , but there was still one question left unanswered to the Ravenclaw - the identity of The Half - Blood Prince . The Prince didn't make any other moves after the black roses, which bothered and relieved the witch at the same time. She felt relaxed on knowing the fact that he wasn't interested in her anymore, but what bothered her was the realization that she would not get a chance to know who The Half - Blood Prince was . Severus, on the other hand, was unaware of the fact that the girl felt fascinated by his nickname. He regretted his decision of sending her his decreased mother's favorite flowers . 

Although Albus , Minerva , Filius, and Hagrid had acted as if they agreed with Severus' decision of not manipulating Seraphina into accepting a man 14 years older than she , secretly they all prayed to Merlin , that Seraphina would accept this cumbersome relationship . 

Headmaster Dumbledore appointed a new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher named Christopher Smith Jr . Smith was a fine man of 40 with a medium frame, but there was nothing distinguishable in his personality. Miss Hudson - the History of Magic teacher , despite that fact, showed a great deal of interest in him . Soon, it became normal to observe the duo strolling together or sitting next to each other in the Great Hall , having deep and lengthy conversations . 

Seraphina felt happy for the new pair. Only a little fraction of the reason for her merriment was Miss Hudson's new-found exhilaration , mostly she was contented to see that now at least the new teacher wouldn't mind giving her any special attention .

Severus, on the other hand, didn’t mind the presence of the new teacher because his mind was already preoccupied with the thought of the Ravenclaw's reaction on knowing about the Curse of Forbidden Love . The young Professor worried that he might lose the most wonderful person in his life, but he didn't posses the courage to lie to her. Her dusky eyes always held a look of sadness in them .Warmth , mysteriousness , sadness and curiosity always played a playfully fluid dance in those eyes . It was impossible for the Potions Master to lie when she looked at him with those truth seeking orbs. It felt to him like he was betraying himself by lying to the girl who deserved all the happiness the world could grace her with . At first, the man who took down the Dark Lord was scared to like Seraphina, but now he was scared to cause her pain and suffering because he had started to like , admire, and adore her .

ልረልክ

It was the first day of March. After attending all her lectures the young witch didn't go to the library like she usually did in her normal routine. Instead, she walked down the corridor leading her towards the gargoyle of the Headmaster's office on the seventh floor of the castle . 

Severus made his way towards Albus' office as well. He needed to talk to the old wizard about how they would tell Seraphina about the imprinting curse when his eyes fell on her delicate figure descending the staircase of the Gargoyle , lost in her own thoughts. She passed him without even noticing his presence . Severus hurried into the office without even bothering to ask for the Headmaster's permission . 

" What happened to Miss Barclay ? " asked Severus at once. 

" I thought we weren't allowed to intrude in her personal affairs ." commented Albus in a mirthful tone .

" Oh Merlin ! For once can you please keep your sarcastic attitude out of this, and tell me what happened to her. She looked lost," said the young Wizard impatiently. 

" Nothing much to worry about, my dear friend. She just came to ask for my permission to leave the castle this evening," said Albus as if stating the obvious. 

" And you gave a student - especially Seraphina , the permission to leave the castle?! She is a Merlin awardee for God's sake , Albus ! Didn't you see her? She looked so lost. I doubt you should have let her leave the vicinity of the castle when you know the remaining Death Eaters might be looking for her. They are thirsty for her blood," spat Severus in a mixed expression of anger and concern. 

Albus silently listened to what the young Professor said. He was amused by the perturb he was exhibiting towards the girl .

" I don't remember clearly when you showed this amount of care for anyone , Severus . Does that indicate anything significant?" came a cunning reply from behind the desk . " And besides that, you needn't worry about Seraphina. She is very capable of handling her emotions and herself very prudently, " he added .

" Where has she gone?" asked Severus, ignoring the assertion put forward by the Headmaster. 

" I promised Miss Barclay to not to tell anyone where she is going. It's something personal ." said Albus calmly. 

" I have every right to know where has she gone . " said the Dungeon master. " Ok, listen Albus , although you are right that I have no right to ask you this, but please tell me where has she gone because my heart doesn’t believe that she is in the frame of mind to handle herself," he added. 

" Greenhaven Woodland Church, " said the man with crescent moon glasses. 

" But..." the word left Severus' thin lips, but he was cut off by Albus before he could speak any further .

" Please forgive me , my dear Severus, but I cannot tell you the reason because there are some promises I am bound by," explained Albus .

Severus left the office at once without another word. His long legs carrying him as quickly as they could , towards the black entrance gate of the castle . Outside the black iron gate he didn't find Seraphina as he has expected . The raven yew-wood wand tightly gripped in his lean fingers , his mind concentrated on the location where the witch has went . Soon a opaque sphere of black mist encompassed his black figure, and eventually he felt his body being pushed through a tight and narrow rubber tube. The years of Apparating made him immune to the ill effects of the magical way of traveling long distance in no time . He didn't feel anything more than a tingle in his gut, and in a split second, that was gone too . 

Severus appeared on a cement pavement. Subsequently, he realized he landed on the pavement of a Muggle street. On his right sat a line of seventeenth century two-story buildings with numerous shops on the lower floors . On his left was a large field with a building standing by itself. Up high there was the purple-gray spire of a church and the irregular form of an old building. The building before him was beautiful, old stone and stained glass . Besides the lonely building there was nothing but a huge field. 

The Muggles walking down the street eyed him suspiciously because of the Wizarding robes he wore . He scanned the street for a barren or isolated alley, and successfully found one close to his right. Briskly, he entered the dark alley and pulled out his raven wand. With a flick , a downpour of bright golden light encircled him, and the next moment the frock coat was transfigured into a long overcoat, and his cloak was refashioned into a jet-black scarf loosely wrapped around his neck. He cautiously left his trousers and shoes the way they were . 

Severus paced out of the dark alley he was standing in , noticing the windy weather outside the eerie alley. As the young Professor walked towards the grandiose iron gate of the church , his black orbs fell on a figure known to him. He saw Seraphina descending down the staircase of a flower shop with a beautiful bouquet of white tulips held in her delicate hands. She still looked lost and sad to him . The Ravenclaw meandered towards the church with a lost look on her face. Severus didn't want to stalk the witch, but the curiosity of knowing what a young girl such as herself was doing in a church filled him, and he was certain that only here he would get the answer to his question of why she was sad. Reluctantly he followed . 

Seraphina didn't walk on the sandstone path laid past the grass of the grounds , directing towards the church building. Instead, she ambled towards the multitudinous graves that stood erected on the field. Eventually she reached her destination, as she belayed near one such stone grave, placing the white tulips next to another bouquet of white flowers in front of the erected stone. She kneeled on the ground then folded her hands in front of her chest and intertwining her thin fingers. After muttering something under her breath, she stood back up . 

Severus contemplated her every move from a distance, but an urge to go near her was growing inside him. His attempts to suppress it had penurious results . So, he walked up to the position to be within earshot. Now he could hear what she said without attracting any attention to himself. 

" How are you, Mum " the voice of Seraphina erupted out of the blue . Her voice was filled with compassion and warmth as always . " I miss you. Even Daniel misses you . You know the Ministry awarded me an Order of Merlin , First Class, but I still don't know if I deserve that . I went to Hogwarts as you asked me to, and thanks for making me go to that amazing place. I don't know if I would have liked it at Beauxbatons. I surely wouldn't have found friends like Luc, Eley and George there . Well, at last I met Professor Snape in person , but I still don't know why you didn't let me meet him earlier . Well let’s put that aside , I want to tell him that I am luckiest girl on this Earth, Mum. You know who took me to the Yule Ball? Well, it was Professor Snape," said the girl with a chortle . 

" Mom, although I am not upset with you for leaving me so soon, was it necessary to leave your little Seraphina alone all by herself? Of course as you always said, everyone has their own angels in life. Daniel is mine. " The witch sniffed as she unsuccessfully tried to hold back the tears from falling . 

" Why did you leave me? First Dad, then you. Why ? Am I so bad? I don't know how I will be able to keep myself sane if all these things keep happening to me . " The words left her lips in no more than a whisper as she wept , but soon she composed herself and wiped the tears from her cheeks .

"Never mind. I am such a crybaby at times . Well, thank you for being such an amazing mother . I love you, " the witch told her as she stood there rooted in place for a few moments before walking off towards the longevous church . 

Severus watched the girl with a lot of uncertainty. He didn't know why he hadn’t gone to console her when she cried in front of that grave . Maybe, deep inside his heart he knew that his presence would only constrict the pain Seraphina was letting out . 

Habitually, everyone saw Seraphina as the girl who never suffered, and the girl for whom life was far more easy than others, but in actuality, the girl had gone through as much suffering as any other person had gone through. Maybe even more. The only difference was that others mourned publicly over their misery so the world knew theirs, but this girl kept the distress to herself and tried to spread as much happiness as she could . Severus felt it right to let the Ravenclaw let out her pain .

The lovely witch was in no condition to notice the presence of any living being, especially her formidable Professor, even more so when he was wearing Muggle clothes , so she walked past him without realizing who he was . She briskly strolled up to the church and walked into the old structure. Again, Severus hesitated to follow her up, but something inside him forced him to against his will. Moving into the passage, he wondered whether this quiet air, filled with the scent of incense , candles, and the more solidly anglican smell of musty prayer books, metal polish and flowers and the brightly lit passage with it's floor of encaustic tiles and its white-painted walls ran the whole west end of the church. 

As the Dungeon Master's eyes fell on the far end of the praying hall of the church, he saw no one except the fragile figure of Seraphina kneeling on the step near the large statue of the Lord Jesus hung by a wooden cross . Something invisible was pushing him towards the girl as he reluctantly took every step towards her. Before he could have realized it, he was standing near the praying figure of the young witch. 

" God won't judge you no matter what you ask him for , my child," a voice whispered in his ears as he turned to face a middle-aged man in black robes . 

" But I don't know what to pray for, " replied the young Wizard in whispers . 

" So, just thank God for all he has graced you with, " whispered the priest and strolled away as mysteriously as he appeared. 

Severus didn't kneel down to pray. He wasn't sure what he would ask thanks for. Lily had chosen James above him , his parents had died before he had even turned old enough to sustain himself ,then the curse by Lord Voldemort had caused him to imprint upon Seraphina, whom he didn't deserve . 

But he was thankful to Him for sending friends like Minerva, Albus , Filius, and Hagrid into his life, and Seraphina was probably the best thing that had happened to him . The Professor wordlessly sat on the rear wooden bench. He didn't know what he was supposed to do next. He didn't want to stalk the Ravenclaw witch anymore, but he wasn't sure whether she should be left on her own or not, because he still feared the Death Eaters would attack her . 

" Oh, Professor Snape ! I didn't knew you were here, too," a soft , warm voice fell on his ears, tugging him out of his ocean of thoughts. He raised his head to see Seraphina standing near , her eyes puffy and her cheeks stained from tears . 

" You aren't the only one who has permission to leave the castle , Miss Barclay, " he replied calmly .

" Well, I know it's very impolite to ask, but what are doing here - in a church ?" asked the witch with a hesitant tone. 

" Student’s safety is Hogwarts first concern , Miss Barclay . You may not care for your safety and status , but it might have escaped your notice that there are people who care for you and your feelings ," said Batman . " But I should be the one to ask what are you doing here , Miss Barclay?" questioned Severus. 

" I...I...I...just came... for some... enlightenment, " she stuttered .

" And what was your enlightenment? " he questioned. " Lying is something you perform very poorly," he added without giving her a chance to answer. 

A long pause of silence came over them. It was Severus who broke the fragile silence with his cavernous voice. 

" I hope you have paid your homage to your mother ." 

The girl wordlessly nodded in her reply . 

" What did you asked God for ?" 

" Nothing. I just thanked him for everything.” She eyed him speculatively. “So, you mean to say that Headmaster Dumbledore sent you to keep an eye on me. " said the adolescent witch without looking at him . 

“ Miss Barclay, I know some matters are personal and require your and only your presence there, but I must express my disappointment on you . A student such as yourself isn’t expected to act so ignorantly when you know there are Death Eaters who want to see you beheaded for getting 11 of their members arrested . And I doubt you want another photograph of yours on the front page of the Daily Prophet with another silly made up faux story,” said the Potions Master with a visibly disappointed look on his slender , pale face . He stood up from the wooden bench to face the young witch.   
“ I doubt I need any security , sir . I am capable enough to keep myself safe from any threat, “ said the witch sternly . “ But why would the Daily Prophet be stalking me ?” she asked with an astounded look on her face . 

" I think you should say yes," another voice made itself heard. Severus recognized it as the voice of the priest who suggested him to pray earlier. The duo turned to face the old man mirthfully smiling at them . 

" May I beg your pardon, Father, " said Seraphina. 

" It's rare to see a couple proposing in church , my child. I think you should say yes to the young man," declared the priest as he walked up towards the pair . Seraphina turned as red as she could get. The comment was awkwardly funny and utterly embarrassing . 

“ I am speechless at your interpretation, Father. Forgive me for I need to excuse myself from the company of you gentlemen,” exclaimed Seraphina hurriedly as she paced towards the large door which had been wide open from which streamed the fading sunlight of the sunset. 

" Ah... Father...it is nothing like that . I...we...there is nothing like that between us, " Severus muttered quietly.

" Lord, forgive me ! I just misinterpreted the whole scene . Forgive me, my child, " pleaded the priest . " Please ask for her forgiveness on my behalf, young man," he added as he turned to walk away. 

Severus stood there for a few moments, dumbstruck by the comment of the priest but soon he followed Seraphina's path and exited the old structure. He saw the young girl standing near the iron gate all by herself, her face was still red from embarrassment . 

" He said sorry to you , Miss Barclay, " said Severus as he approached the girl . 

The Ravenclaw gave him a long look. Her visage was stony. Abruptly she broke into fits of embarrassed laughter. Her Professor joined in, but they both didn't uttered a single word about the incident. Subsequently, the Potions Master composed himself and extended his hands towards her which received him a look of bafflement from the laughing girl. 

" We need to Apparate back to the castle , Miss Barclay, " he declared solemnly. 

Seraphina too, composed herself and held her Professor's hand delicately. Soon the mist formed, and in the blink of an eye, they were at the iron gates of Hogwarts castle . Severus narrowly eyed his companion who had a sick look on her face. 

" Are you okay, Miss Barclay ?" inquired Batman . 

" I think so, " replied the witch .

Seraphina was lucky that this time Apparating hadn’t made her vomit. She felt relaxed after a few minutes of nausea . Once inside the castle, they both parted ways with an unspoken promise to keep the priest's comment a secret .

While Severus was on his way to the Dungeons, he saw Albus climbing the stairs directing towards the Dungeon . His old face gleamed at the sight of his young colleague .

" Oh, Severus, did you find out why Seraphina went to the graveyard? " asked the old wizard. 

" I am sorry Albus, but I am not a stalker " spat the young man . 

" Then why are you wearing Muggle clothes, my dear Severus? " added Albus cunningly. 

Severus realized too late that he was still wearing those transfigured clothes . 

" Okay, I went after her , but it was just for her safety. My heart wasn't convinced that she would be all right by herself, " he replied defeatedly . 

" Well my plan worked well , I assume," declared Albus with a mirthful smirk. 

He knew Severus would have followed up with a question so he continued without giving the young Wizard a chance to speak.

" I am as much concerned about her safety as you are . So, I just lied to you about not knowing her intentions. I was sure that you would have gone after her and hence, both my purpose were served . I ensured that she was safe with you, and you got yet another chance to know who Seraphina really is, " he added. 

Severus was mute for a brief moment .

" Why is it that you feel that you know what is best for everyone , Albus? What was the need to lie to me? You could have asked me to follow her directly; I would have never said no to you," fumed the Dungeon Master. 

" She would have never agreed to the proposal of going to her mother's grave under a teacher's surveillance , Severus . And you would have never been able to see her real pain if she would have had the knowledge of your presence," replied the Wizard with the crescent moon glasses. 

Severus acknowledged the fact that every word he spoke was right, but still a small part of his heart was still annoyed by Albus' acts. 

" You shouldn't have told her that the priest asked for her forgiveness, " the fading voice of Albus fell on his ears . 

" How did you know about that, Albus ?" questioned the young man as he turned towards the robes that were swaying behind the old Wizard. " Please tell me you weren't behind that also?" he pleaded. 

" Listen, Severus, I promised you I would do whatever I could to spark things between you two, and that was all that I did there. Why don't you understand that you two look adorable together?" said the old wizard. 

" We talked about it Albus: nothing before she graduates from here, " added Severus with the slightest hint of frustrated in his tone. 

Neither of them uttered another syllable, and both went on their way because both knew it was an endless and futile debate. 

ልረልክ 

The promise was sustained faithfully by the Ravenclaw Prefect and the Dungeon Master. The days passed by like the bristling of leaves and soon only one night was left before Seraphina's birthday, but little did the adolescent girl know that the night would change her life forever. The witch was ignorant to the fact that her already topsy – turvy life would get shattered in a split second, but she would also find the one who would help her glue back every part .

On the night of the 9th of March, the young witch was on her way to the fourth floor corridor of the west wing as a part of her patrolling duty . Her headphones were tucked into her ears as she strolled down the corridor humming the lyrics of the songs playing on her iPod . While striding along leisurely, her eyes fell upon the door of a classroom that was half open. She peeked in to ensure that it was empty but to her surprise inside the empty classroom was standing Batman in front of a very large mirror . His face was fixed at the reflection in the mirror. He raised his left hand and caressed the reflecting glass as if he was caressing a person. His slender, pale face had a saddened expression on it. 

Why was Batman sad to see his own reflection ? Many more questions erupted in Seraphina's mind. She tried to figure out the reason for his distress . The picturesque memory of the page of a book – “ Magical Creations “ came to mind. She remembered reading from the book in the Restricted Section of the library , about a mirror showing the person his greatest fears . The thought stuck her that it might be the same mirror, but still uncertainty overshadowed her . 

Finally, she decided to do what she hated to. She would be entering Batman's mind to see what was the reflection showing him . Seraphina relaxed her mind, and in no time her raven orbs started fading, and the crystal blue color took their place. Her whole body was fading and the sight looked like she was being sucked into oblivion. Everything around her turned shiny white , then all of a sudden, everything surrounding her started to turn misty and dark. She was inside Batman's brain now . In front of her was the same room she was peering into previously, but now she was standing nowhere near the door. Instead, she was standing near the stained window of the barren classroom. in front of her stood the misty figure of Professor Snape. A sad feeling came over her out of the blue - she was feeling what her Professor was feeling right now .

Pushing the distressed feeling aside, the girl stepped towards the mirror, but the sight which greeted her left her in a state of utter shock . In the reflection of the mirror, Professor Snape wasn’t alone, but a girl stood there in front of him. His robes were also different from what he was actually wearing . The image in front of her wasn't stationary , neither was it obeying any laws of reflection the young Ravenclaw had studied about. On the contrary, the image in the mirror showed a whole other scene – a scene one could fantasize about . 

Batman's reflection was wearing a white silk shirt and black trousers, while the girl standing in front of her just had a black silk bedsheet loosely draped around her rather skinny form. The sheet covering her was so loosely draped around her breast that the silk dropped low near her back , showing her attractive and aesthetic back on exposition. Batman’s eyes were inundated with compassion . Eventually, the tall figure of Batman wrapped his muscular arms around the delicate figure of the girl, pulling her closer to himself , his hands caressing the soft waist of the female. Then he leaned in so that his lips was caressing the girl's. The girl draped in black silk reciprocated his caress. In a delicate manner, the lady in black raised her hand and pulled her fingers slowly through Professor Snape’s jet black hair, and they both shared a passionate kiss . Seraphina felt awkward entering her teacher's mind and seeing such a personal and vulnerable memory of his, making her regret her decision , so, she turned her back towards the mirror and focused her mind to prepare herself to retreat from his mind when a very known and similar voice fell on her ears. It sent goosebumps down her body . 

" I love you , Severus," the possessor of the voice said breathlessly. The voice seemed unnaturally similar to her own - for once it felt to the adolescent witch as if it was her own voice, but she also knew it was impossible so she turned back to face the large mirror, and what she saw anaesthetized her mind . 

For the first time ever since she had entered the teacher’s brain did she intimately espied the features of the girl . Her hair was as black as the most pure of velvety nights with a slight wave at the tail end falling on her shoulders. A pair of black glasses was placed on the top of her nose , the short round face resembled her own was outlined by the effervescent moonlight falling into the room from the stained glass . Although it was impossible to believe, the reflection was unquestionably hers own . 

" I love you too , Seraphina, " the deeply enticing voice of Severus Snape made itself clear. 

The couple was still inches from each other . Professor Snape couldn’t see something like this in the mirror . It wasn’t possible. He didn’t like her - no he couldn’t like her. Uncountable similar thoughts raced through her mind as she hastily escaped Batman's brain . Once she was not in the world of his memories , she ran. She ran as if Lord Voldemort himself was after her life, and she was obliged to run for her life like a poltroon , instead of dying like the brave warrior she was. It felt to her as if she heard a fading sound of her Professor calling her from behind, but she had lost the courage to face the man she had admired her whole life. 

He had promised that he would never hurt her, but his desire to kiss her – a 16 year old school girl , narrated a different story . Seraphina ran outside the castle straight into the dark , menacingly eerie forbidden forest . The memories from a few days prior flashed in front of her. Something very similar to this had happened with her. Lockhart - a teacher--confessed his love for her, and now another Professor was seeing a reflection of himself kissing her . The witch's brain was numbing at an alarming rate, but she couldn't afford to let the emotions take over her mind. She needed to compose herself and ready herself for whatever unknown would come in her path . The Prefect decided to report this incident straight to Headmaster Dumbledore, but before knocking on the door of the Headmaster’s office she needed to quell the volcano of emotions that had erupted inside her . 

Diverting her mind away from Professor Snape was important. His face, which was constantly coming in front of her eyes , was sending a throbbing pain down her chest. How could the man she assumed to be the most noble man she could have crossed paths with , think like that of her? Why was she the only one men found worthy of their attention and lust? There was nothing special about her; neither did she possess a beautiful face, nor was she the most attractive girl in the whole school. Her dressing sense was more elegant than bold. First Noah , then Lockhart and now Professor Snape. The last one was not even someone the young witch had thought would do something like this to her . Why was life being so cruel to her? Seraphina feared she would not be able to keep herself composed any further now that the same thing was happening to her the third time .

Seraphina was too late to realize that her aimless sprinting brought her to the middle of the menacingly dark forest. She was surrounded by a layer of thick forest filled with treacherous and savage creatures on all sides . She paled as if she'd been painted with white-wash. Even her lips were barely there. Then with one step backwards, she crumpled like a puppet suddenly released of their strings on the dirt covered ground .

ልረልክ

The Mirror of Erised was a creation of Wizards that showed you your greatest desire . The Mirror of Erised was an ancient, ornate mirror. It had clawed feet and a gold frame inscribed with the phrase “ Erised stra ehru oyt ube cafru oyt on wohsi.” The mirror showed the most desperate desire of a person’s heart; a vision that has been known to drive men mad. Mad wasn’t the most appropriate word, but the mirror did give him the only ray of hope he had in his darkened world – Seraphina.

Severus was making rounds when he saw the poltergeist - Peeves bursting out of one classroom with tears falling from the eyes . The sight was rare. Peeves was usually the creature that caused others to cry, but seeing the Poltergeist cry made the young man curious to know what caused him to shed it's tears. He entered the classroom which had a large mirror kept in its center . He knew about the Magical phenomena which caused many great Wizards and Witches to destroy themselves because they had lost the will to live once they had tasted the fantasy of living in their dreams . 

But what was his own deepest desire ? The question intrigued him. He walked up to the mirror to get his answer , but what the reflection displayed saddened him . It wasn't a lie that his greatest desire was Seraphina's affection, but he knew that was far from happening. Why would she choose him over the charismatic boys out there who would give everything to have her as their girlfriend . But the reflection consoled him at the same time. Maybe not in the real world, but at least in the world of the Enchanted mirror he would be graced with her . 

The whole world went black for Severus as his eyes fell on Seraphina’s figure standing near the half-open door of the barren classroom , her eyes unnaturally crystalline blue instead of the natural raven color of it. He realized what was going on. Seraphina had entered his mind and had seen what the Mirror of Erised had shown him--his greatest desire was Seraphina's affection and acceptance . Seraphina's eyes returned to their authentic dark color and in the blink of an eye she was running away from him. He called for her to tell her the truth, but she was gone. Severus wanted to follow, but his body wasn't coordinating with the mind . Everything collapsed in front him. He felt cold as fear augmented inside of him. He could see the clear vision of Seraphina fixing him with a loathing look and then, out of blue, she disappeared, leaving his world barren and dark .

The young Professor stood still for God knows how long. It felt to him like he was losing the will to live. He was supposed to love Seraphina for his entire life. From the beginning it had hardly a chance of working out, but now it was impossible , seeing that the lovely witch would never accept him . The sadness that had come over him was sending a stinging pain down his chest as if he was being repeatedly stabbed by a sharp dagger . 

Suddenly the sound of wing flattering tugged him out if his deep thoughts. The sound came from an owl hovering above his head. The brown owl dropped a piece of parchment near him and flew away . Severus picked up the parchment. It was from Albus, and it read - 

Severus I want you in my office this very instant. We need to tell Seraphina everything . 

Albus 

The stinging pain in his chest proliferated as he read the last line of the note , but he knew it was important to do so now that Seraphina has seen something she should have known a lot earlier. 

Sighing heavily, he made his way towards the office of Headmaster Dumbledore on the seventh floor . Before knocking at the door of the office he hesitated, but neither could he change what would happen nor could he keep this a secret from her anymore. Knocking on the door softly, he entered the office which was crowded with his friends and a figure sitting in front of the fire, a warm red quilt loosely wrapped around her. Her gaze fixed at the riotous flames of the fire . 

Minerva stood near her protectively . No one in the room looked impressed or merry , neither were they disappointed or angry . Everyone in the room looked disquieted except for Seraphina. Cold contempt overshadowed her delicate face as her dead eyes tried to ignore the newly entered man in the room. 

" Seraphina , there is something we need to tell you about . It's very complicated, and we won't blame you if you hex anyone of us or express your anger. You have the right to do so ." the calm voice of Albus Dumbledore filled in the room from behind his desk. 

Seraphina shifted her gaze from the flames to the old Wizard. Her eyes were empty and her face stony. 

" I know he is a Order of Merlin and a friend of yours, and you care for his respect . Headmaster, I am not asking you for any favor like firing him or anything similar to that . I simply wanted to inform you of this, and I would like to leave Hogwarts once and for all. I cannot keep myself sane if things keep repeating themselves, " declared the Ravenclaw in an emotionless voice . “ And now that someone whom I trusted and admired my whole life has other expectations from me , which I cannot agree with, I would like to stay isolated from the Wizarding world,” she added .

" I understand your anger, Seraphina, but please give us a chance to explain this situation, for once . Things aren’t the way they seem to be. Severus doesn't lust upon you – he is a man of honor , my dear " interrupted Minerva . The girl shot her a cold glance .

" Whatever the Patronus-like thing of the snake said to you was not a joke by Peeves; it was the truth that we have kept secret from you, and the Patronus-like thing was sent by the Dark Lord," declared Albus in a stern voice. 

Seraphina's raven eyes widened at the statement of the old Wizard. How could that be possible? The Dark Lord had perished ten years earlier. How could he send anything resembling a Patronus? What would the darkest wizard ever born want from a invaluable girl such as herself? 

" Ten years ago when Severus killed the Dark Lord , Riddle hexed him with a curse called the Curse of Forbidden Love before dying . Poor Severus was forced to imprint upon one that Lord Voldemort would choose for him," said Minerva rigidly .

" And you were the one You - Know - Who chose for him . Severus cannot control this, otherwise he wouldn't have done it . It's not his fault," added Filius dejectedly . 

Headmaster Dumbledore narrated the whole tale for her . What she heard gave her an insuppressible urge to hex anything around her or punch something hard .  
Seraphina fell on the armchair kept near her. She couldn't believe what her teachers were saying . Professor Snape had imprinted upon her the day she came here … Lord Voldemort had chosen her to cause hurt and sadden Batman … She had heard the name of the Curse of Forbidden Love from her mother once or twice, but she never knew this would happen to her . 

Finally, she rose from the armchair and stepped towards her Professor clad in black , her wand tightly gripped in her delicate hands as if she was ready to hex the man standing in front of her .

" I want to..." she mumbled weakly, but before she could have completed her statement, Batman cut her off. 

" Yes, " he simply said. The Ravenclaw nodded in reply. 

Things were repeating themselves. She was again fading, and it seemed like she was being sucked to oblivion. Soon everything surrounding her turned dark and misty . She was no longer in the Headmaster's office, but inside a small attic room which was dark and shabby. A small bed was placed at the far end of the room where a little boy with long black hair sat with a torn book. His clothes were worn and his eyes were cast down with sadness . Abruptly, a loud shriek filled the room , scaring both Seraphina and little Severus. The scared boy ran towards the door. The witch followed. The shrieking noise was coming from downstairs where a man had pinned a woman who resembled Professor Snape, against the wall. Both the younglings peered down from the top of the spiraling stairs. The man shouted something inaudible, and then the sound of hitting , slapping and punching was followed by the sounds of a pleading woman. Little Professor Snape gasped and ran back to his room , fear shadowing his innocent, childlike face . 

Seraphina also felt scared, but she wanted to stop the man from assaulting the woman, and she also wanted to confront the little boy. Sadly it wasn't possible as she was inside her Professor's memories, and nothing could be changed here. 

Subsequently the mist changed its form to another scene of Batman who looked in his early twenties . The surroundings transfigured into a room similar to Professor Snape's chamber , but the difference was it was very untidy and smelly . The door thudded open, and a visibly angry man stomped in. With the entry of the man, Seraphina felt a rage of anger flowing inside her . The younger version of Professor Snape threw his frock coat away and rolled up the sleeves of his white silk shirt revealing the Dark Mark. threw a bottle of Firewiskey and picked up a large piece from the mess of shattered glass he had created. He stabbed it into the Dark Mark , slitting every part of the visibly black tattoo . The adolescent Ravenclaw felt a stinging pain in her left arm . 

The mist clouded again. It now took the shape of a forest covered with snow. She realized she was seeing Professor Snape's battle memory . The young Professor stood facing Lord Voldemort, both their wands pointed at each other . Suddenly, the Dark Lord started screaming in agony, but before falling to the ground, he pointed his wand at the man standing in front of him and a wave of blue light flew out of his wand, taking the shape of a snake . It was a rather beautifully carved Patronus of a snake with large eyes and a very precisely scaled body . The snake formed high above the ground, it's body doing a dancing motion in the open sky. It suddenly shot a glance at him, and the hissing words poured out as its thin mouth opened and spoke something Seraphina understood completely. She was also a Parselmouth after all . The snake hissingly declared that –   
Severus Snape, you have been cursed by Lord Voldemort to imprint upon a girl that will give you the pain you deserve. 

She saw uncountable memories, and they only gave Professor Snape distress and nothing else. 

It was enough pain for Seraphina to handle at the moment when she herself was going through unquenchable distress . Her body was fading and the mist was dissolving itself, and soon she was outside Batman's brain and back in the Headmaster's office . In front of her stood the man she had vowed not to see the face of a few hours before, but now she felt sad for him. Still, she didn't know what she was supposed to feel: anger , frustration or understanding towards the complexity of the situation . So, had it meant that he saw her reflection because of the curse ? After a long moment of rumbling thoughts , Seraphina decided what to do. Reluctantly, she stepped towards the Potions Master.   
Albus and Minerva gasped audibly as the girl stepped closer to her Professor , the Aspen wood wand tightly gripped in her hand , indicating her readiness for an attack . Their fear was unraveling itself , Seraphina wasn’t convinced of the fact that it wasn’t her Professor’s fault that she had been imprinted upon. 

Severus saw her raven eyes restoring to their original color and that she was stepping towards him. He knew why she was coming closer – to slap him hard . He deserved that after all, how could he expect a sixteen-year-old to understand the complexity of this situation ?I 

In actuality, the amount of maturity and understanding Seraphina had showcased at times had Severus hoping that she would understand this scenario, too , but unfortunately he had been mistaken by his own trust in Seraphina . The Dungeon Master closed his eyes. He had lost the courage to see the hate for himself in those eyes. He felt the collar of his coat being pulled, but he didn't opened his eyes to see the onerous hatred in those black orbs . The few minutes felt like forever to him. To his surprise, neither came the slap nor a question. What came left Severus wordless and flabbergasted . Severus felt a small and fragile figure pressed against his own frame. A pair of delicate arms wrapped around his neck, pulling him into a tight, comforting embrace . The young Professor's eyes opened wide to see Seraphina pressing him into a warm hug . Her embrace wasn’t seeking any comfort, instead it radiated a sense of protection. He felt as if no one – not even the Dark Lord himself--could hurt him now that the girl was with him , near him .

" When was the last time you got hugged , Half - Blood Prince ?" she whispered into his ear. 

Her voice was at the verge of cracking , but despite her endless efforts to control herself, a tear rolled down her cheek. Severus didn't reply. He simply didn’t know what he was suppose to say. Maybe he should thank the girl for understanding his unexplainable situation , but his mind didn’t want to get entangled in the words , so he simply wrapped his muscular arms around her , pulling her even closer to himself . 

Eventually, Severus' muscles relaxed, and he melted into her arms. Never before in his life had the young man felt so comforted . They both stood in each other's arms for a long moment before Albus cleared his throat to tug the duo back to reality. They pulled apart , red-faced as they realized there was an audience spectating the view . The overwhelming feeling caused them to forget that they were standing in the room with four other people, too. 

" I am sorry . I crossed my limits. I shouldn't have let my heart control my mind, " mumbled Seraphina, her head bowed low with embarrassment. 

" Seraphina, don't feel sorry for relieving us from our biggest dilemma," chortled Albus . 

Seraphina gave him a puzzled look . 

" We were scared that you might not understand this situation, but it seems now that you are pretty much sure of what you will do ." explained Minerva.   
“ I don’t know the reason for keeping such information secret from me, but I would like to make a promise to you all, and especially to you, Professor Snape . I don’t know how this will work out. I don’t know if we both will be able to… know …love …each other , but I will be by your side whenever you need me ,” said Seraphina emphatically." But there are a few things I want to clear up before anyone of us leave this office," added the witch.

Albus indicated for her to get seated and then speak. Seraphina obeyed and seated herself on the armchair. 

" I don't know what to feel at this moment, I am not sure of the reason why Lord Voldemort chose me to hurt Professor Snape, because I cannot even in my dreams think of doing something to disappoint him . But I want a favor from you, Professor Snape, and from you all , too, " said the young witch while glancing at the four friends of her destined life partner . 

" I propose that nothing will happen between Professor Snape and me until I am a student here . I would prefer to share the relationship Professor Snape and Miss Barclay shared . My reasons are not personal. I proposed this keeping in mind the social status either if us posses, and the reputation of Hogwarts which we should avoid affecting. I don't want anyone to question Professor Snape’s morals or sanity because of someone so trivial like me , but if you want it otherwise I will not go against you. And yes, please, no other efforts for sparking things up between the two of us," vocalized the witch as she passed the old Wizard a weak but sly smile. 

She shifted her gaze to the young professor standing near her. 

" And for me , I know I am not suited to you, and forgive me for that, but happily, Lord Voldemort clearly made a huge mistake by choosing me for a great man like you. I know it might have disappointed you upon learning that I was the person you were to imprint upon. Can we fall in love? I don't know the answer to that question, but I believe we both could start ...this… with a friendship, then maybe..." Seraphina found herself at a loss of words, but even after being in such an awkward position , she was able to make herself clear .

Severus walked up to her and kneeled on the floor of the office , making himself level with her. He took her shivering hands in his slender fingers and fixed her with a look of compassion .

" I am the one who is unsuitable for you , Miss Barclay . You accepted me, but it took me a lot of time to accept the fact that God has graced me with the most wonderful person on this Earth . I will never in my life do anything that you are against. I respect your decision, and no one - not even my Cupid friends - will force you to do anything against your will, " said Severus in a soft tone , his voice like melted chocolate.

" I promise you that I will never let anyone hurt you anymore," whispered the lovely witch softly with a warm smile . Batman raised her hands and caressed them with his this lips. 

" I thought you both were just friends, " commented Filius with a mirthful smile. 

Severus and Seraphina looked at the four Wizards who were giving them mischievous glances. 

" Professor McGonagall, thanks for giving me the best prom partner ever, and Professor Dumbledore, I thought that was very bold of you to send me to Professor Snape's chambers , but thanks for being so thoughtful," she spoke with a sweet smile playing on her lips. 

The clock chimed as the hands showed twelve. Seraphina's birthday arrived with the most unusual gift she could have received . She met the one destined for her on her seventeenth birthday, and it was no one other than the formidable Professor Snape who had a vulnerable heart that needed compassion and care, but this gift brought a lot of responsibilities with it.

" Happy seventeenth birthday, Seraphina, my dear," declared Albus cheerfully as he rose from behind his desk. 

" Thanks, Headmaster Dumbledore," said Seraphina shyly . 

Everyone in the room wished her a happy birthday. 

" I suppose you two friends should leave for your chambers , it's already midnight, and we have a busy day tomorrow," Dumbledore added. 

The duo agreed and left the office, walking silently towards the Prefect's dorm . Once they approached the painting of the young maiden, Seraphina turned to face her Professor. After a long moment of silence, Seraphina spoke.

" I think I should leave . Good night, Professor Snape," she said awkwardly and turned to leave, but before she could have walked off, she felt his hand grab her arm and pull her towards him. The next moment, she was pressed against the muscular chest of her Professor . Her delicate face buried into the chest. She could clearly hear his heart which was throbbing thunderously .

" I don't know how I could ever thank you for accepting me despite the odds . Thank you for bringing happiness into my life ." The chocolatey voice of Batman whispered in her ears.

It sent goosebumps down her body as her eyes widened . She awkwardly patted his back and waited for him to release her from his grip. Eventually he let go of her fragile figure .

" I...I...don't know what to say . Sir, you are the best man I have ever met in my life, but I just want to say that we shouldn't do anything questionable while I am here as a student - it's just for your sake. I don't want students going around gossiping about you..." Seraphina tried to explain herself as she blushed deeply.

" I appreciate your concern, and I respect your decision , Miss Barclay. Forgive me, for I just crossed my limits because of the overwhelmed feeling I felt on hearing your response, " Severus explained before she could have completed her words. 

The young witch nodded shyly . She vanished inside the entrance hole as Severus left for his Dungeon chamber. 

Seraphina moved to her chamber's bed and sat down , her head leaning on the bedpost . How would she be able to love her Professor Snape ? Never had she ever thought in her wildest dreams that the smart , handsome , logical, and intelligent Batman was the man destined for her--to love her and care for her . Severus Snape was encompassing her thoughts at that moment. But one thought bothered her – would she ever be able to match his personality? There were so many differences between them: he was a man of class ,his Victorian dressing style , the way he presented himself, and the unconventional attractiveness he possessed . She, on the other hand, was a geeky book worm who wore Muggle clothes , always kept her nose buried in a book, and her glasses covered more than half of her small face. She felt as if he deserved someone elegant , alluring, and someone who was not geeky like her. 

While Severus on the other hand was lying on his bed , a smile plastered on his thin lips. The lovely , smart , elegant, and unconventionally charismatic Seraphina filled his mind, and he couldn't have felt any more jovial . 

One thing was certain for the unconventional duo - they both wanted to see a smile on the other's face. 

mpassing her thoughts at that moment. But one thought bothered her – would she ever be able to match his personality? There were so many differences between them: he was a man of class ,his Victorian dressing style , the way he presented himself, and the unconventional attractiveness he possessed . She, on the other hand, was a geeky book worm who wore Muggle clothes , always kept her nose buried in a book, and her glasses covered more than half of her small face. She felt as if he deserved someone elegant , alluring, and someone who was not geeky like her. 

While Severus on the other hand was lying on his bed , a smile plastered on his thin lips. The lovely , smart , elegant, and unconventionally charismatic Seraphina filled his mind, and he couldn't have felt any more jovial . 

One thing was certain for the unconventional duo - they both wanted to see a smile on the other's face.


	17. Chapters - 17 The Vampire's Bite

Love ? Love a Professor ? Love the formidable Professor Snape ? Love the man she had spent admiring her whole childhood ? Love someone who wasn't Alan ? How would she do it ?

Life was so ironic. Seraphina realized this fact now that she has been told that ' the one destined for her ' was the valiant , handsome and formidable Professor Severus Snape . She had been sprinting away from the affection of teachers for her whole life, but life , very amusingly, threw her into the most awkward situation one could fall into. 

A relaxing sleep was never meant for her , so she spent the night reading , completing her work, and watching movies, but all that her mind was occupied with was Professor Snape . Somewhere deep inside she was amused , though, because she had never in her wildest dreams thought about Batman in a romantic way. 

She had always thought they would share the relationship that Professor Snape and Miss Barclay shared , but she had been wrong, and she felt happy in being wrong . Although the thought felt immoral to her because she had never seen him as someone she would have liked to spend her time with. The reason was not that Batman was a bad person, but that Seraphina had been certain that he could never fall in love with a girl of her disposition. 

The students , the teachers , the ghosts - everyone was baffled at the sight of the Potion's Master. Professor Severus Snape has rejuvenated. The students were shocked to see the greasy bat of the Dungeons smiling - for no reason. It was a rare sight to see the Dungeon Master expressing himself the way he was currently doing. 

The Potion's Master didn't chastise the students for making mistakes in Potions; neither did he assigned many detentions . It felt as if the old Professor Snape was replaced by a new one. The reason was unknown to all except Albus , Minerva , Filius , Hagrid and Seraphina. They knew how, at every turn of life, the young man had to go through heart-wrenching pain , leaving him with no time to be compassionate to others. First there had been the Marauders , then the Dark Lord , then the demise of Lily , his parents, and after the fall of his former master, the apprehension about whom the Dark Lord had chosen for him - but now he had no reason to be bothered about anything or anyone. Now Seraphina was with him, and she had accepted him even though she wasn't obliged to do so. For the first time in his life, Severus felt like a free and lucky man, and the reason was Seraphina Barclay. 

ልረልክ

Love alters not with his brief hours and weeks, But bears it out even to the edge of doom. If this be error and upon me proved, I never writ, nor no man ever loved.

The words danced in front of Seraphina's eyes as she re-read the beautiful lines written by William Shakespeare about love . Her chamber was dimly lit as she sat on the navy-blue armchair kept near the window. The clock had just chimed midnight, but as usual, sleep was nowhere near her . She didn't know what had prompted her to read the works of the most romantic author in the Muggle world , but now she felt heavy and bored in her chamber. She wanted to watch a movie but unfortunately she couldn't, so she shut her book and placed it on the shelf which was lined with many such classics by Muggle as well as Wizard authors . The Ravenclaw loosely draped the white Kashmiri shawl around her and left the chamber to meet her centaur friend Aslan.

ልረልክ

Everything surrounding him was black and dark. The visibility was zero. He could see nothing except his hands. Out of the blue, he started falling. Letting out a terrorized scream, he realized that his fall wasn't coming to an end. He kept falling to oblivion when abruptly, Severus fell on a wooden floor covered with uncountable layers of dust. A stinging pain erupted in his left shoulder where he had landed . After what felt like an eternity, he raised himself up to see a room he had seen before-a small attic room with a broken fireplace and spider webs dangling from the wooden support frames. The mist of uncertainty unraveled from recollections as he remembered the attic room from Malfoy Manor where the price of his past was paid by Seraphina . 

A loud, agonized screech filled his ears as he strained to look in the direction from where the sound came . Slowly his vision adapted to the darkness of the room, and he succeeded in making out the figures of two people . Horror stuck him as he realized what he was seeing - Ravana - the voluptuous Death Eater--was scribing Gilderoy Lockhart's name on Seraphina's smoothly delicate bosom . Seraphina's scarred and bloodied face looked up at him, her eyes pleading. 

" H...help me... Prof... Professor... Snape... please " the Ravenclaw murmured weakly . Severus sprinted towards her, but the short distance between them seemed to have expanded and was stretching continuously . Severus keep sprinting towards the girl, but he wasn't able to reach her no matter what he did. 

He searched for his wand, but it wasn't with him . Seraphina's voice kept filling his ears, but he was helpless . Suddenly her voice fell silent. The Dungeon Master scanned the darkness for her figure, finding the face of the man with golden hair pressed against Seraphina's , a lonely tear falling down her cheek. A volcano of rage erupted inside him. All he wanted was to hex Gilderoy Lockhart with an Unforgivable curse, but he felt disgusted in his inability to do anything. 

Severus was still sprinting , trying to reach Seraphina. To his surprise, the distance seemed to have stopped expanding as he finally reached the young witch who was now lying on the floor . Her pitiable form raised a hand towards his black figure. In no time, the Potion's Master was kneeling next to her delicate body. He took her small head in his hands, wiping the blood off with his sleeve. 

" I...saved...you , b...but...you... di...dn't...saved...me, " mumbled Seraphina agonizingly. Severus leaned to hear her words clearly .

" No, nothing will happen to you , Seraphina . I won't let anyone hurt you anymore , I promise," the young Professor whispered back. Tears were escaping his eyes unbidden. 

A sad smile crept on her face as she opened her mouth to speak . The Ravenclaw witch raised her hand to place it on the slender face of her Professor , wiping his tears with her bloodied fingers. 

" I love yo..." the words left her lips in no more than whispers as her body shivered violently as gargantuan pieces of glass erupted from the witch's chest . The raven eyes which were always filled with warmth and compassion lost their emotion as very slowly, the life drained out of her orbs right in front of his eyes. Severus refused to believe she was gone. He vigorously shook the limp body of the girl he had begun to care for. Sadly, her dead body didn't accept his attempts to revive her. Seraphina silently laid there , looking at peace. 

Death wasn't kind, and Severus knew that. It snatched where it could, taking people who were far too young, far too good. It didn't pretend to care; it didn't pretend to distinguish. The Potion's Master had felt and survived the wrath of death . 

The hooded veil of death had hung over the world for a long time, always threatening. Death had ripped away a part of her, the part of her that was most loved. He'd dealt with so much death in his lifetime. First his mother , then his only friend Lily, and now the girl who was the reason he wanted to live again.

The young man's face was sunken and haunted; his mind cold and empty. Eventually, he let out a defeated , agonized, and frustrated scream in his fury that the most empathetic person he knew had been taken from him. 

The dead body that was in his arms started to leave his embrace , The Dungeon Master saw Seraphina's body slowly rising in the air , leaving his arms . By that time, he could see her back where the glass had stabbed through her. He didn't want to let go of her, but it felt as if hundreds of invisible hands were pulling him away from Seraphina. Even though she was dead , he felt protective of her and didn't want to leave her proximity . 

The young Wizard noticed movement in Seraphina's chest, which was dangling in mid air - she was alive . He wanted to go near her, but the imperceptible hands wouldn't let go of him. The surroundings turned spine-chillingly cold; and a black , hooded figure appeared from nowhere. A gliding, wraithlike, Dark creature flew near the flying body of Seraphina . A Dementor . Severus let out another excruciating scream . He knew what those horrid creatures could do. He struggled against the hands that bound him fruitlessly. He couldn't let that gruesome creation suck the girl's soul .

The Dementor slid the hood off its head, revealing a rotten face of what could have been human once. The face didn't have proper skin, neither did it have features like a nose or eyes. In place of eyes were hollow sockets which had the capacity to look beyond the human body. It could pierce through a mortal's soul to dig out every happiness they had ever felt. The rotten-faced Dementor leaned over Seraphina's shivering face , his rotten lips caressed the witch's, and painstakingly slowly he started sucking out her soul. 

" Leave her ! " Severus shouted, but it seemed to have no effect on the soul-sucking creature. " Take my soul , but leave her !" yelled the man, but the response was the same. 

Soon the Dementor pulled back, and the flying body of the young witch thudded on the wooden floor. This time she didn't move. No life was left in her raven eyes . Finally, the hands containing him left, but he couldn't reach her body as it felt like he was being pulled up in the air. He screamed . 

Severus woke as if it was an emergency, as if sleeping had became a dangerous thing. His heart was beating furiously, and there was a buzzing in his brain. and together they are as panic with jump-leads. A curtain of cold sweat had formed all over his face and bare torso . It had been a nightmare ! he thought to himself; it had been horrific. The idea of sleeping again was not feasible to him so he pulled on his black robe over himself and stormed out of his chamber which felt like an Azkaban cell. 

ልረልክ

Seraphina stood in the avar of the mirky forbidden forest , aimlessly wandering in it's kaira . Her young mind was still occupied by Batman; many thoughts raced inside her mind . 

A rustling sound of footsteps on avar filled her ears. She became alarmed as she slipped the wand down from her sleeves. She kept walking in the same aimless manner, but this time her mind was alert for any foe . All at once she bumped against someone. Her alertness faded into dust as she realized the presence of another person and her equilibrium wavered, causing her to fall hard onto the cold ground. 

" I am happy you didn't fall because you had your eyes fixed on a book and not the path laid in front if you, " a deep, cavernous voice filled the air of the forest as he leaned to ensure she was okay. 

The sly smirk could be heard in the tone of the man. Seraphina knew who it was; that voice, by no means, could be forgotten. In it she sensed his thunderous heart rate and wondered about it… Batman reached out to help her stand up. She took his hand without much hesitation this time. Dusting herself off, the young witch asked him with a concerned look -

" Are you all right, Professor Snape ? Your heart is beating wildly. " 

" I am all right, Miss Barclay ; thanks for your concern . I have always wondered what fascination this treacherous forest possesses that you like visiting it so often? " he asked. 

" What is your analysis ?" The Ravenclaw witch queried. 

" That it's still impossible to understand a Ravenclaw; especially when we're talking about you, Miss Barclay " said Batman. Seraphina gave him a warm smile at the comment . 

Another rustling sound of walking on avar filled the silence. A large, black figure appeared from the thick woods. It was Aslan, the witch's Centaur friend. Seraphina greeted him with a Centaur's handshake and introduced him to her Professor. The black haired creature fixed the young Wizard with a deeply analytical look, as if contemplating his soul. 

" Why do you punish yourself, young Wizard ?" said Aslan in the husky voice he possessed. 

The Wizarding duo gave him a look of pure and raw bafflement; neither of them knew what the half- horse- half - man meant. 

" Lily wasn't your first love, " declared the Centaur after a long moment of silence. The statement would have surely enraged him if it would have been said to him seven or eight months prior, but now, neither the statement nor the name angered him. Lily was just another name to him now. 

" Aslan, I don't think it's right for any of us to intrude in this personal matter, " Seraphina broke in. 

" What do you mean by that Aslan ?" questioned Severus. 

" You have punished yourself everyday for the past 10 years by isolating yourself from the world, by running away from the love and compassion it had longed to grace you with because you felt you weren't able to save the life of the woman you loved. It's not true. Neither was she your first love, nor were you two destined for each other like you and Angel are. You finally stopped loathing yourself, but still there is something inside your constricted heart that you need to forget and move on. " replied the raven-haired creature. 

" Her death was my mistake, and I will always be guilty for that because I was incapable of saving the girl I loved. But how did you know all about this? I strongly assume Miss Barclay hasn't told you anything about this concern, " vocalized the young Professor. 

" Angel, I am aware that you can answer his questions more prudently than I can, " said the Centaur as he turned towards his witch friend. 

" Please answer my questions if you can, Miss Barclay, " Batman directed to her before Seraphina could have spoken another syllable. 

Seraphina let out a heavy sigh before answering her Professor. Her eyes were cast down with uncertainty. 

" You know that when I use Diérchetai, I am also obliged to feel what a person feels at a particular situation. That has caused me to feel love a hundred thousand times. When I Diérchetai'd you, what I felt inside you wasn't the love I have witnessed and felt uncountable times. "

" Don't get me wrong here, but what you felt for Mrs. Potter was hunger for affection, and it is by no means wrong. You were deprived of love your whole life, and when Mrs. Potter became your friend, you felt understood, and that caused you to mistake her affection as love. And when Lord Voldemort killed her, the guilt pushed you in the path of vengeance, eventually leading you to greatness. 

"You mourned over her loss, believing it to be the loss of a love that it never was . It was always a friendship. Mrs. Potter could never reciprocate your feelings because she never felt for you that way. She was never the one destined for you. I have fallen in love myself, and neither you nor anyone will believe it, keeping in mind my age, but as I have said, I have felt love numerous times, and what I felt for that man was the same-maybe even more passionate. Similar to you, the man I loved was never able to reciprocate my feelings, but seeing him happy gives me merriment, and that's enough for me. Sadly, that wasn't what you felt for Mrs. Potter. " 

" But what worries Aslan and me more is your cold contempt for her. I know you have your own reasons for feeling that, and I am not claiming you are wrong, but please don't hold this contempt for the woman who was the only friend you have ever had. Don't mourn that you lost the woman you loved because she wasn't that, but feel sorry for your loss over the closest friend you ever had, " said the Ravenclaw witch, her raven orbs fixed on her Professor's. In her eyes was sympathy, and Severus felt the need of it. 

Lily had never been his love. Was that the reason he'd wanted revenge over her death, and was that the reason that he was never able to accept her denial of his feelings? Why was it that seeing Seraphina happy gave him more happiness than winning the Order of Merlin itself ? Was this the reason why instead of wanting her love back and Seraphina in his life, Severus was convinced to let go of her to make her happy ? Although the Dungeon Master never believed in destiny's fate, knowing Seraphina and observing her firm faith in destiny had forced him to accept that maybe it was his destiny to have the adorable Ravenclaw - Seraphina--in his life instead of the beautiful Gryffindor - Lily. He had to admit he was much happier this way. At every point, Seraphina was trying to understand him like he was trying to understand her. But one thing wasn't fitting in. 

" Why didn't you even try to confess your love to that man? How were you so sure that he wouldn't have chosen you ?" asked Severus after a long moment of silence in which every word the young witch spoke sunk in. 

Seraphina looked up at him before answering the question. 

" My confession of love would have had no value, Professor. Sometimes happiness comes at a cost, and the happiness I received from seeing him happy was the cost of my own love for him.

" I was in love with a 40 year-old man and I accept that I never met him, and it was obvious that a man of his disposition could have never liked a girl like me. Now I know you would shove me off by saying that it is a mere teenage crush, but as I said, I have felt what love makes you feel, and that was exactly what I felt for him. But nothing could have happened, so I moved on. Mourning over things that are uncontrollable is not so wise in my not - so - humble opinion, Professor, " explained the sixteen-year-old too - mature - for - her - age witch. 

Severus was simply astounded by her assertion. The girl he had imprinted upon was mature, lovable, and had already fallen in love before. But the thing that caused his heart to strain was the fact that he hadn't been able to move beyond his hunger for affection, but this girl had moved past her unreciprocated love. 

" Why did you love when you knew there was nothing that could have happened ?" The man asked.

" I loved because I could, not because I wanted love back, " Seraphina said simply, as if stating the obvious. 

Severus tried to control the wave of emotions erupting inside him. The Potion's Master wanted to melt in her arms like before. He wanted to feel the same protective feeling her embrace radiated, but Seraphina wanted to maintain a distance while she was in school, and he didn't want to cross the line like before. While his mind was busy suppressing his feeling's, the unexpected happened: Seraphina pulled him into her arms. The hollow feeling inside him filled as soon as she embraced his stiff body. He melted in her arms. A tear rolled down his cheek as he realized his whole life he had mistaken affection for love and had lost a lovely friend. The cold contempt inside him had reflected itself in his behavior. 

" It's fine to make mistakes, but what's more important is to correct them. Just don't hold your contempt, and maybe it will help you feel better, " she whispered in his ears as she traced circles on his back. 

" But why did you tell me all this? I It was my past I was trying to forget, " whispered back the young man. 

" I clarified your feelings because you weren't able to do so yourself, Professor. If you want to forget your past, it is impossible. Your past is that part of you that cannot be kept hidden or be buried. " Seraphina cooed . " And it's fine to express yourself, sir. Always being hard on yourself is not the solution to every problem. Don't be an aonaran anymore. " she continued. 

A smile crept on Aslan's face upon seeing the closeness between the couple standing in front of him. The pair pulled apart, their eyes locked upon each other. Seraphina regained her senses and stepped back upon realizing that her body was pressed against her Professor's. She turned cerise as the realization. 

" I am aware of the fact that you are very upset with me due to this curse, but please forgive me if you can, " murmured Professor Snape. 

" I am not upset; I am outraged, sir, but not with you. I am very angry with Lord Voldemort. How could a man of his disposition curse someone like you with such a horrendous curse ? He forced you to imprint upon me without either of our permission. You deserve so much better than someone like me. " snorted the witch. 

" Forgive me, but I have to disagree with your assertion, Miss Barclay. I lived the last ten years of my life in the shadows fear. I was very uncertain of the girl I would have to imprint on, but when it was revealed that it was you, I breathed a sigh of relief after all that time. I don't know why you feel like I deserve someone better than you, because of all the people I know, you are the best. Your soul is the purest of all, and the innocence that your heart prevails is angelic," said Batman compassionately. 

Seraphina looked up at him with a baffled look upon her delicate face. No one had ever held her in such high regard. She cast down her eyes coyly. 

" This is yours, angel, " the deep voice of the Centaur broke into the awkward silence that has crept over the two. The duo shifted their gaze to him to see a blue and silver colored woolen scarf in his hairy hands. 

" That was a gift, Aslan, " remarked the Ravenclaw. 

" It belongs to you, " he simply added as he wrapped the scarf loosely around her neck. Seraphina gave him a warm smile. 

" What did you see in your nightmare, Professor. " asked the young girl simply. 

Severus didn't reply. He didn't possess the dauntlessness to express his fear in words. But Seraphina didn't waited for his answer for too long. 

" I know what you saw, and I didn't use diérchetai to find out," vocalized the Prefect. Her tone was deep and concerned. " Don't worry, I am right here in front of you, alive and breathing. It's fine. it was just a nightmare. Although I don't get the pleasure of sleep but when occasionally I receive the pleasure, it's never without a bad dream from Malfoy Manor or my Muggle school, " she continued as she passed him a warm smile. Her smiling visage suffused with love and joy; a smile that set the world right for him. 

A deiform voice filled their ears as the pair was engulfed in a compassionate gaze, causing them to shift their gaze to the caligo surroundings. A river of white galad encircled them in a wavy motion. The couple was awestruck by the angelic light. Suddenly, the wand gripped in Severus' hand left his pale, slender fingers and flew away from him, soaring above their heads. The same happened with the Ravenclaw witch's Aspen wand. The flittering wands grabbed Seraphina and Severus' attention so that they didn't notice the downpour of light that was encircling them. It divided into two separate crystalline billows of bright light. Eventually, the crystalized mist started taking the shape of identifiable animals just like Patronuses. An angelically beautiful White Stallion took the place of the white billow which stood there a few seconds earlier. The horse stood mid-air proudly with his mane billowing around his head, stretched up proudly, radiating his wisdom and power. The other mist transformed into a Camarillo mare. Just like it's counterpart, it stood with it's head stretched upward with pride, but unlike the male, she didn't radiate power, but a compassionate aura came from her. 

The stallion stepped towards the Camarillo, and the mare reciprocated. Soon they were standing in front of each other, both of their proud heads bowed toward the other out of admiration and respect. After the small gesture of respect, the couple rested their heads on each other's, resembling a human hug. The scene looked as if the souls of the horses were being woven into each other. The compassionate hug of the Patronuses came to a halt as they pulled apart and ran in opposite directions. While the Stallion followed the direction his head was facing the mare chose the direction her head faced. After sprinting on the path of the mist from which they had taken birth, they both found themselves facing each other again, this time neither galloped and the misty Patronus body of the stallion and Camarillo touched and dissolved into the same white misty billow from which they originated from. 

The divine white mist parted into strands of light flowing towards the wands that still hovered above the Ravenclaw and the Dungeon Master's head, filling inside from the end of the wooden staff. Soon the light diminished as it filled into the yew and Aspen wands respectively, and they dropped back into the witch’s and wizard’s hands, leaving the two dumbfoundedly staring above their heads. A long silence drew out among the three magical beings, while the wizard and the witch didn't know what to say. The Centaur, on the other hand, was ready with his words, but he kept his silence to give what the pair had just seen the time to sink in. 

" Two souls have been bound by the great and magnificent force of divinity itself." Aslan's dark voice filled the awkward silence. 

Seraphina and Severus shifted their gaze to Aslan, a mixed expression of bafflement and awe showing on their faces. 

" Do you mean those were Patronuses...?" The words left Severus' lips in no more than a whisper. 

" How could that happen...?" murmured Seraphina. She fixed Aslan with a look of hunger - hunger for knowledge. 

" The Patronus of that White Stallion pervaded your wand, brave wizard, and the Camarillo chose your wand, Angel. A Stallion is a Camarillo's partner, and your Patronuses have chosen one another," declared the half-horse - half- man in an intellectually superior tone. 

" But this can't happen. My Patronus is a doe, " argued Severus. 

" It has changed, my dear Wizard. Your happiness, which was once linked with a person who's Patronus was a doe has now found new happiness. You have emotionally changed, and the reason for that is Angel. She has brought happiness to you, and that is why her Patronus' counterpart is your new Patronus," explained Aslan intellectually. 

" This can't happen... This is impossible... I have no Patronus, so how can the counterpart of my Patronus comes into existence? " The words had left Seraphina's lips before she could think clearly. 

Severus turned to face the girl as he spoke. 

" Why do you not have a Patronus?"

" Diérchetai is worse than a curse. It forces me to live hundreds of thousands of lives. My reaction to any situation is greatly affected by other's experience. Whenever I experience any situation, my mind has recollections of other's experiences, and then my actions take on the best of what I can make out of those recollections. It's like living a million lives and remembering each of them clearly. True happiness, sadness and even excitement weren’t solely mine... until...until the bouquet reached me... and you told me about the curse...and you took me to the ball -" said the Ravenclaw. 

" All these situations forced you to end up thinking like Seraphina and not like those people whose memories you have lived through, " the Potions Master completed the statement for her. 

" Severus wants to live because of you, and you are thinking like yourself because of him, " stated Aslan. 

ልረልክ

The next morning, Seraphina sat at the Prefect's table next to Jason Botts, treating herself with toast , eggs and bacon, with a glass of pumpkin juice. Routinely, the witch had received many letters since her Merlin award, but she also replied to every one of the letters as a sign of acknowledgement and respect towards the senders. On this very fine morning, she received around 20 letters from all over the Wizarding World. Among the pile of letters stacked in front of her was a cardinal colored envelope, a few lines were written in a curvy handwriting reading - 

For the dearest and most beautiful girl in the world 

Seraphina buried her head in her hands upon reading the line. It had started infuriating her how every letter designated to her was filled with glorified and exaggerated admiration for either her looks ( which she felt weren't commendable enough for such praise ) or her Merlin award. Nonchalantly, she opened the envelope, revealing a letter written on silk parchment, reading - 

Dear Seraphina Barclay, 

Greetings from my side.

This letter is a personal invitation for you for my opera ' La Belle et la Bête '. It would give me immense pleasure to have you in my audience and showcase to you the most aesthetic music your ears have ever listened to. And a party will also be organized for the special guests after the Opera. 

Two tickets are in the envelope with this letter for you and your partner for the most beautiful evening I can offer you. 

Yours lovingly,   
Joshua Typhius

Seraphina skimmed through the exquisite piece of parchment held in her hand with a frustrated thought in her mind... 

Another invitation for an expensive party or theater show by some famous vampire artist. 

After letting out an annoyed sigh, she pulled out a parchment from her bag and started writing an apology letter for the famous vampire opera singer Joshua. She had written uncountable numbers of those letters to those who had sent her invitations to lavish parties and other time-wasting occasions. After completing her letter, she fastened it to her owl Hans’ brown claws and sent him to Mr. Typhius.

ልረልክ

Walking towards the Headmaster's office on the seventh floor, Seraphina's heart pounded as her mind conjured up the many possibilities of what the old Wizard wanted to tell her now. Once she ascended the Gargoyle's staircase, she softly knocked at the door. After receiving permission to enter, she entered the office quietly. Inside the office sat the old wizard, as always, and with him sat a very handsome man with crisp blond hair, a well-carved face, and glistening-blue eyes sat across him on the other side of the desk. They both gazed at her as the Ravenclaw recognized him from the newspaper and posters that had been pasted all across Diagonal Ally. It was Typhius, the world famous vampire opera singer. After greeting the Headmaster, she turned towards the handsome man. 

" Good evening, Mr. Typhius. " 

" Good evening, Miss Barclay. " He returned. 

Turning towards the old wizard she asked - " Sir, you called for me ?" 

" No, actually it's Mr. Typhius who called for you. He is not very pleased by the fact that you rejected his invitation to his opera, " Albus explained, his tone devoid of any expression. 

Seraphina turned her gaze to the blond man. 

" Sir, I will simply not be able to attend your promising opera because I must abide by the school laws," she explained. 

" And if I say that I received special permission from Headmaster Dumbledore so that you can attend the show, then what will be you answer, Miss Barclay?" asked Typhius.

" I would have loved to attend, but I must tell you that I despise special treatment and the exceptions that are made for me, " said Seraphina, her voice stern and her body ridge. 

" Treat yourself a little after facing those Death Eaters, my dear lady! " exclaimed the singer melodiously. 

" I don't mind you leaving the castle if you promise to return safe and sound, " added Albus. 

" Ok, " said Seraphina. 

She always loved music, and after all that she has been going through, she needed something good to treat herself with. The divine art of music always relaxed her mind and body. 

" But you may look for a partner who isn't a Hogwarts student. I don't have any concrete reason to let any other student leave the castle, Seraphina, " instructed Albus. 

" Excellent, " squeaked Typhius zealously as he shook hands with the old wizard and took the small black box that he had constantly kept near him, which had been unnoticed by her. 

" So, it would be an honor if you accepted a small gift from me. You might want this tonight. I would take it as an honor if you do so, " he added. 

" I am sorry but..." Seraphina tried to protest, but her protest was cut short by the vampire who stood from his seat and forcefully handed her the box. 

" Please, Miss Seraphina, it's a request. " he requested one last time and after giving her a breathtaking smile, strode out of the office. Seraphina blankly stared at the box and then at the door he had shut behind himself. Her mind was soon occupied with what Professor Dumbledore had said so she turned to face him. 

" You want me to go with Professor Snape, is that right Headmaster ?" asked the young witch cunningly. 

" I made a promise, Seraphina," Albus reciprocated her cunning. 

ልረልክ 

Her soft knock on mahogany wood filled the eerie silence of the entrance hole which was curtained by the warrior’s portrait.. Her heart rate increased as she stood there silently waiting for Professor Snape to open the door. No reply came from the other side, so she knocked again. The response was the same. Her manners didn't allowed her to knock again, but as she turned to leave, the rustling sound of metal unlocking fell upon her ears, sending chills down her spine. The reason wasn't that she was afraid of the Potions Master, but she feared the response he would have to her proposal. 

She had walked down to Professor Snape's chambers to ask him whether he would mind going on a ' supposed date ' to the opera with her. The Ravenclaw didn't want to cross the lines she had set previously, but the old Wizard wasn't wasting any opportunity to bring her professor and her closer. Somewhere deep inside her, though, she knew she liked the company of Batman more than anyone else's, and maybe going to the opera with him might give them more private moments to know each other better. 

" Miss Barclay, may I know the reason of your visit ?" Severus Snape’s voice filled her ears, breaking into the chain of thoughts her mind was processing. 

Turning to face him, she noticed Professor Snape was leaning on the door pane holding the door with one hand and the other hand was occupied by a book on Dark Arts. Her eyes looked down in shyness as she tried to vocalize her thoughts but failed penuriously. 

Severus' eyes scanned her as he arched his eyebrows to indicate his curiousness for the young witch's answer. The Potion’s Master wasn't wearing his daily robes, but instead was dressed in a pair of black trousers and a white shirt which was accompanied with a velvet-green waist coat - just like a gentleman. A wave of self consciousness flushed down Seraphina's body as she gazed at the man standing in front of her. She on the other hand wore a pair of Muggle jeans with a grey sweater. They both looked poles apart in their respective robes. 

" I... I...came..." Seraphina tried to utter the syllables. 

" I might suggest that you should come inside, Miss Barclay, " said Batman as he held the door open for the Ravenclaw to enter his private chamber. She opened her mouth to let out a protest, but he turned suddenly, leaving the door open for her. The witch hesitated but eventually shrugged off the hesitation and entered the room. She yet again froze near the desk, after all he hadn't asked her to sit. 

" The seat isn't made of spines, Miss Barclay. It won't hurt you. At least it doesn't hurt me, " commented Severus as he walked towards the shelf stacked with numerous pricey bottles of possibly liquor. She wasn't sure about the contents of those exquisite looking bottles. 

Seraphina's eyes widen at seeing him near the liquor shelf, pouring the content of one such bottle into two glasses, one of them obviously for her. 

Is he really going to ask me to drink with him in his chamber ? the thought stuck her. Slowly he walked up to her and handed her one glass and sat on the armchair kept near the fireplace. 

" Sir, I am very sorry to inform you that I don't drink any liquor other than red wine, " said the young witch uncertainly. 

Severus let a small chuckle escape his lips as he looked up at Seraphina, a look of innocence cast over his slender face for a split second. 

" I am in my complete senses, Miss Barclay. Even if I am intoxicated, I would be cautious enough to never offer you alcohol. I have witnessed your ability as a drunkard, and it was amusing, I must say. Nonetheless, I have myself given up drinking a long time ago," said Severus in his velvety voice. 

The Ravenclaw prefect heard what her Professor said. His words only caused her to bow her head out of embarrassment. She walked up to his working desk leaning on it. 

" So what is it, if I may ask ?" she asked, trying to change the topic. 

" Lemon lavender, " Severus said plainly. 

She remembered the drink from the night of the Yule Ball. A small smile crept on her face as she sipped the drink without a second thought. 

" So..." Severus repeated his request for her to vocalize her reason for the visit. 

Abruptly life seemed to have come into his chamber as the witch had entered it, he mused to himself. 

" I was wondering whether you are free tonight," started Seraphina with a great deal of uncertainty reflecting in her voice. " Actually, I have received two tickets to an opera ..." she continued in the same way, but now she was at the loss of words. 

" And you want me to accompany you… " Severus completed for her. 

" Yes " she replied in a small voice. 

" Then I suppose the answer is yes, " declared the Dungeon Master. 

The Ravenclaw shot him a surprised glance. She wasn't expecting a straight yes, but his answer only made the situation less awkward for her, and it relieved the girl. 

The pair sipped their drinks in complete silence; neither knew what they should converse upon. Seraphina's raven eyes were, very unknowingly, locked upon the big bookshelves which were stacked with vintage and rare books. With an awestruck look on her delicate face, she recognized some books she had only read about in other books.. After sipping the contents of her glass, she elegantly placed it on the desk and walked silently towards the bookshelf. 

" Is that really ' The book of Soyga ' also known as ' The book of Death? ' " exclaimed the Ravenclaw witch as her eyes beheld the old, crimson-paged book. 

" I appreciate your knowledge and curiosity for books, Miss Barclay. Yes, it is the ' Book of Soyga. ' Only 13 such copied were made of this book, and - " the Potion’s Master’s explanation was gently cut off by the girl. 

" And one of the copies went missing. It was later found in the Muggle world. They still believe it is some sort of evil spirited and demonic book, but in actuality, it is just a book about Dark Arts from 450 A. D." added the girl without realizing that she was speaking. 

" It's worth appreciating that you bother to gain knowledge about every topic. I assume that you might love to read this, " said Severus as he pulled out the old copy of the ' Book of Soyga ' and extended it towards the girl. 

" That's very courteous of you, Professor Snape. It's the most precious book I could ever read. I don't know how I could ever thank you for lending me this book, " exclaimed the witch as she took the book from her Professor. 

Walking up to the desk, she delicately placed the book on the ebony-wood working table, as if it was a newborn baby that needed to be handled with care. In the same delicate manner, she flickered through the crimson pages, reading the Latin manuscript with admiration and respect. 

" So you can read Latin too, " commented the young Professor as he contemplated her reading the book without any difficulty. 

" Yes, actually I can speak Russian, Spanish, French, Hindi, German, Korean, traditional Chinese and simplified Japanese. Also I can read Latin, Harrapan manuscript and Egyptian, " stated Seraphina, her eyes still fixed on the old book. Although there were many things that had made Severus' eyes widen in the past, but hearing what the girl could do had its own effect. Eight language at the age of sixteen! 

" I would have believed a 100 year-old Wizard would have said that to me. No offense, but don't you seem too young for storing this much knowledge inside your brain, Miss Barclay? " said Severus, still astound. 

" Diérchetai is worse than it seem, Professor Snape.I It's a nightmare from which you can never wake up. " gravely sighed the young girl before continuing further. 

Her eyes no longer stared upon the book, but instead she looked up at her Professor who stood near bookshelf. 

" As you know, I feel everything they feel but I also live their entire lives inside my head. And it's not only the lives of just British Wizards that I have lived. Living their lives means learning their language to understand them. It gave me the knowledge of their language, the traditions they follow, and the way they live their life. Sadly, I was only able to learn a few languages, " she added. 

" So, it means that you didn't learnt these languages from anyone; it was your gift that helped you gain this much knowledge ?" inquired Batman admiringly. 

Seraphina simply nodded in reply; her raven eyes were back on the book. Her back was hunched, her knees bent, and her fragile-looking fingers traced lines under the words and incantations written in Latin. 

Severus' eyes were fixed upon her. He was very amused by the girls curiosity for past history. The Potion’s Master was sure that many of the dunderheads he was teaching wouldn't even have the slightest idea about the book Seraphina was reading with such interest. Many a times Minerva, and even Albus, had nagged about the young witch not being in Gryffindor because of her gallantry, she had put exposition to. Even Pomona Sprout - the head of Hufflepuff fell into a mild argument with Flitwick, claiming Seraphina's hardworking and loyal nature meant that she should have been sorted into Hufflepuff. Of all the House Heads, the young Professor never complained about not being able to have the seventeen-year-old witch in his house because he was much more lucky than that - the Ravenclaw was in his life and there was nothing more that he wanted to ask for. Currently, though, he wanted Seraphina to comfortably sit and not hurt her body much. 

" You can use my desk for enjoying your newfound knowledge, Miss Barclay, " said Severus, breaking the silence that had filled the room. 

" Oh ! No, I am fine, Professor Snape, " cried Seraphina as if the words of the man had awakened her from a peaceful slumber. " I am just about to take my leave, please allow me, " she added as she closed the book in the most delicate manner and started moving towards the door, leaving the book on the desk. 

" You forgot the book, Miss Barclay, " the young man called to her as he notice the book on the desk. 

Turning to face him, the girl had a look of puzzlement on her delicate face. 

" You are lending me a book for reading? " she vocalized her surprise. 

" Yes, " replied Severus. 

" What ! I thought you gave it to me just to take a look at its contents. " joyously exclaimed Seraphina as she took the book from her Professor. 

" I am well aware of the fact that you would care for a book more than you would care for yourself, so I have no qualms about lending you this because this book, “ explained the Professor. 

By now a large and genuinely warm smile crept over Seraphina's lips. 

" Thanks, " she simply added as she turned to leave. 

" Excuse me, Miss Barclay, but when should I come to pick you up from your dorm, for our..." For the first time in his life, the young master was at the loss for words. Calling their evening a date would be prudent right? The question occupied his mind. The Ravenclaw herself wasn't sure what her evening with Professor Snape should be called. 

" Evening, " Severus completed with a light blush covering his pale face. It wasn't the first time he had gone on a date, but this was the first time it hadn’t been Albus or Minerva who had sent him on a date. 

" There is no need to pick me up from the dorm, Professor Snape. We will meet at Headmaster Dumbledore's office and use his floo, which has already been connected to the Wattingham Fort--also known as Forteresse de la Tayonne. Actually, I request this favor from the Headmaster because we are both going, and that only would have attracted unwanted attention. If you would have picked me up from my dorm, other students would surely start gossiping, " informed the young witch smartly. " See you in a few hours, Professor, " she added as she took her leave, leaving Severus with the same hollow feeling he had felt when she left him alone. 

ልረልክ

After attending all her classes that day, she stood in front of Elenore. It took a lot, of course, for Seraphina to tell Elenore that she was going to the Vampire’s Opera. Elenore acted as if she was fainting on her friend's bed in hearing it. Lucifer, who sat on the armchair, looked stunned in hearing the news, too. 

" Girl, you are lucky. Joshua's shows are always sold out, and you got a VIP ticket. Those tickets are expensive as hell. And he also invited you to the party he always organizes after his show for all the VIP audience, " said Lucifer, reading the letter the vampire had sent his friend. George was leaning on the armchair, peeping at the letter. 

She heard her friend’s words, but she didn't acknowledged them. The witch was more bothered about her dress for this evening. Gladly, her eyes fell upon the navy blue dress she had worn for her award ceremony. As she pressed the dress against her delicate figure to get a look at herself in the mirror, an overwhelmed Elenore jumped up from the bed. 

" You aren’t goanna wear this ! " said Elenore as she shoved the dress to the floor and away from her friend. 

" Hey! What's bad about this one ? " protested Seraphina as she picked up the navy blue fabric from the ground. 

" Girl, you are a celebrity now: the youngest Merlin awardee ! You can't wear the same dress you wore for the ceremony to the Opera!" yelled George. 

" Ok then, jeans and a sweatshirt it is, " mocked Seraphina. 

" Seph, listen my dear friend. You are beautiful--lovely--why do you like to cover yourself up? Just show off a little, " said Elenore as she gave her friend a half hug. 

" Listen Elenore, I don't wear dresses much, and when I was coming to Hogwarts, I didn't pack the few dresses I possessed because I didn't have the slightest clue that this all would happen. So, please let me be the way I am. My image in people's minds doesn't matter to me, " replied the young witch. 

" Batman's image matters to you very much, but not your own? " remarked Lucifer. 

" Luc..." started Seraphina, but her statement was cut off by George, who stood near the desk is his friend's chamber where she had placed the box Joshua had given her. 

" Hey Seph, why aren’t you opening the box he gifted you ?" asked the little Hufflepuff innocently. 

" Leave it, George. I wouldn't wear it, no matter whatever it is. I am so done with these gifts I keep receiving, " snorted the Merlin recipient. 

" Listen Seph, if one man was bad in your life it doesn't mean everyone is bad. My dad also left us, but then mother remarried, and now we are a happy family. Don't be too early to judge things. And you always say to me to give everything a chance. You never know what life brings for you, " vocalized George as he dragged Seraphina to her bed and made her sit, cupping her face with his hands. 

The Ravenclaw witch bit her lip in hesitation, but her friend's words seemed to have replenished the faith in destiny she had lost. Walking up to the box, she read the golden lettering on the leather. 

" Specially made for a girl worth losing the world for. " 

A small chuckle left her lips at the statement, but this time frustration didn't fill her like it used to. Opening the box, Seraphina was left awestruck by the what her eyes beheld. 

ልረልክ 

Severus patiently waited for his ' date ' in Albus' office. He was supposed to leave the castle with Seraphina by six p.m. Like always, he wore his daily robes, but his heart was curious to know what the girl was going to wear tonight. Albus amusingly contemplated his colleague's impatience to see his partner. 

" Finally ! You both are getting along well, I suppose, " commented the old Wizard in a cunning tone. 

" Thank Seraphina for that, " Severus replied in a undertone. 

Their nonchalant conversation was brought to an end with a soft knock on the door. Both men knew who was on the other side of the door, and they was excited to see the girl. After Albus granted permission, the door opened with a creaking sound, revealing Seraphina, who was clad in red silk. 

Severus' eyes widened at the sight. It was always surprising how the witch managed to look different and alluring at every event. The red dress fit her slim form in the most aesthetic manner, a deep, yet appropriate, drop at the bosom and there was next to no fabric that covered her back. Instead, the back was covered with red lace. Flowing down to the floor, the dress had a slit on the right side going up to the knee. A little makeup and a messy bun completed her look. 

The Potions Master's eyes widened upon seeing the admirable witch in a dress that made her look like the human form of the goddess Athena - the goddess of wisdom and beauty. Surely, she was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen in his life. 

" I am so sorry for keeping you waiting Professor Snape and Headmaster Dumbledore. Elenore wouldn’t let me leave without a little makeup and the hairstyle. Please forgive me, " apologized Seraphina as she walked up to the man clad in black. She seemed uneasy, the Dungeon Master noticed.   
Professor Snape looked handsome. Actually, he was always the same; the difference was just the way Seraphina viewed him. This evening she didn't see a Professor standing in front of her, but instead, she saw a handsome, well-dressed gentleman who seemed wonderstruck at the sight of her. 

" I suppose you both should leave, otherwise you might miss the opera, " broke in the Headmaster. 

The pair nodded on reply and stepped into the fireplace. Severus threw the floo powder as the words ' Wattingham Fort ' left his lips. 

" I hope you enjoy your date, " the pair heard the fading voice of Albus before the green flames fully engulfed them. 

Soon they both were falling into oblivion, hands intertwined tightly. The visibility was zero as darkness encompassed them. Abruptly they thudded on a tiled floor. The witch's equilibrium strayed, but the young man accompanying her held her wrist. Eventually, they found themselves inside a life-sized fireplace. Exiting the fireplace, the couple stepped into a hallway on which laid a red and golden carpet. Many young Wizards were posted just outside the Floo entrance to help the guests. The young man who was posted outside the Floo Seraphina and Severus' emerged from greeted them zealously and escorted them inside theater to the VIP seats booked for them. 

The sanguine theater was just like a Muggle one with rows and columns of seats and the stage which laid before them. Severus and Seraphina’s seats were in the balcony, which graced the audience with a lovely view. There were several balconies along with theirs that jutted out from the tall walls of the theater. Severus and Seraphina sat on the two seats in their small balcony, giving them some private space, segregating them from the rest of the audience. A House-elf brought two glasses of wine for Severus and her, for which she thanked the little creature. After waiting for fifteen minutes, in which they talked freely with each other, the opera stared. The soothing music filled Seraphina’s ears, calming her mind, while the Potions Master watched the show very intently. Seraphina on the other hand leaned into her chair, placing her head on the relaxing back of it, feeling the music within every part of her body. 

" My father used to take me to a lot of operas. He loved them, " whispered the witch without looking at her partner. Severus didn't answer. He’d had no childhood experience to share with the girl who understood him the most. 

Neither of them uttered another syllable until the show came to an end, enjoying every bit of music lucidly. After the show, the House-elf escorted them to the big hall crowded with uncounted Wizards, vampires, werewolves and many mysterious creatures of the Wizarding world. As soon as Severus and Seraphina squeezed their way to the corner of the hall, the pair was approached by a voluptuous woman. 

" Merlin, Seraphina Barclay and Severus Snape ! " She squealed as she bowed to the pair. Seraphina reciprocated in respect, Severus on the other hand nodded. 

" It's an honor you bothered yourself with the dress I specially designed for you. But might I ask you why did you add this lace covering your splendid back, " she asked indicating towards Seraphina’s back. 

" Actually, I am not in the habit of wearing a dress with no back, Miss... " replied the Ravenclaw. 

" Oh, it's Ravenwood, " the bronzed woman said as she raised her wand, pointing it at the young witch, and with a flick of the staff, the lace on the back vanished as if it never existed. 

" I have heard you like things the authentic way, " she added. 

The hot air of the hall touched her cold back, sending chills down her spine. But soon her back accustomed to the air. After conversing for a while Ms. Ravenwood left. 

Mr. Jacob Griffiths, the Minister for Magic greeted them, and after a small conversation, he left the pair on their own. The couple treated themselves with Kebabs and salad before the handsome and melodious Typhius approached the pair. 

" Miss Barclay ! Ah I see you accepted my request. That's very sweet of you. Do I have the right to remark that you look breathtaking in this red silk? " commented the jet-black haired opera singer. 

" Thanks for the compliment, and this beautiful dress Mr. Typhius, “ she replied as scarlet dusted her cheeks. 

" Modest... As the Daily Prophet says you are, " he said. 

" Mr Snape, nice to see you after such a long time. I always wondered why you never accepted my invitation, " he continued, turning towards the man in black robes. 

" Sadly, I was never able to find the right partner to share my evening with, Mister Typhius. Thankfully, my quest has ended, " said the Professor cunningly. 

" Might I ask Miss Barclay for a dance? It would be my pleasure to teach her the vampire style of dancing, " suggested the vampire as he gave Seraphina his hand for her to take in acceptance. 

Seraphina was always curious to learn vampire-style dancing, but she wasn't sure how her date would react about it. 

" I suggest you should learn the dance, so we both can share one ourselves, " said Severus as he discerned her uncertainty. The young witch gave the vampire her hand, and the next moment she found herself on the dance floor with the tall blood-sucking creature standing only inches away from her. He took her right hand and placed it on his stone-hard chest and choreographed the back of the left hand to be placed on her lower waist. Fluidly, he slipped both his hand around her waist and pulled her against his hard frame. His ice-cold hands caressed her skin. Eventually, they started to swirl in a semi-circular manner. The dance form left no personal space in between the pair, and it felt more sensual to her than it appeared to others. 

" Forgive me, for I am ice cold. I can’t control it, but I have to comment that you are too cold for a human yourself, " said Typhius in a seductive manner. " I know you might be wondering why we vampires dance in such a passionate way, " he continued in the same seductive manner. 

" Because vampire clans always wanted to stand apart from the Wizarding community, and so this was a minor amendment you made in the dancing style the community followed,. " Replied Seraphina. 

After dancing for a while, Typhius escorted her back to Severus, who still stood at his place, like a gentleman. The Ravenclaw witch thanked the vampire for the dance, and he left his guest. 

After a heavy sigh the young witch spoke - 

" The dance was..." yet again she was at the loss of words. 

" Sensual, Miss Barclay. It appeared sensual, and I have to comment that my Cupid friend would have died to see us dance that way, " Severus completed for her. 

" Honestly, I have no idea what I should I comment about that, " said Seraphina blankly. 

" Dance with me?" asked the Potion’s Master as he held her hand and started escorting her to the dance floor. 

The young witch expected him to dance in the normal way, but as usual, the Professor had his own motives, as he held her the same way Typhius held her and pulled her close against him, eliminating the distance between them. Seraphina was pressed against her Professor's chest with both his slender hands placed on her slim waist, caressing her exposed skin. She surely would have felt awkward if the man dancing with her would have been anyone other than Batman, but his arms felt protective and comforting to her, so she didn't mind dancing that way with him.

" What are we supposed to call this ?" asked the adorable girl. 

Severus arched his eyebrows at her question. 

" I mean, what is this ? We both are out here on a very mesmerizing evening, what should we call this? " she added. 

" It's what a normal wizard calls a date, Miss Barclay, " said the young man, looking down at his dance partner. "Did I inform you that you look alluring in this dress? " he continued. 

The Ravenclaw witch didn't reply. Instead, she bowed her head out of shyness. 

Soon, they both strode off the dance floor, and Severus went to get a drink for them. While her partner was off, Seraphina's eyes scanned the horde of people from the richer section of the Wizarding world, all clad in lavish and exquisite robes. Eventually, her eyes fell upon a man with black hair, silver dusted a few strands of his raven locks. His pale skin aided in radiating the blackness of his hair. His face was carved out in a godlike way, giving him an extremely attractive look, and the crystalline blue of his eyes only served as icing on the cake. Although the man was very magnetic according to the standards set by society, Seraphina found herself not at all attracted to the man's enthralling beauty. Suddenly, Seraphina found herself being sucked into oblivion. Her raven eyes faded to crystalline blue, just like the man’s whom she was looking at. Soon, she was going through the handsome man's life. Eventually, her raven orbs restored to their original black as her date appeared with a glass of wine for her. 

" You look lost, Miss Barclay, " the deep, velvety voice tugged her out of the ocean of her thoughts. Swiftly, she turned to face the comparatively taller man. Her sudden motion caused her dress to swirl in a flowing manner, A stern look had come over her delicate face. 

" Professor Snape, please forgive me, for I have to excuse myself for a moment. I suspect something suspicious in the horde, and I am praying that I am wrong, " said Seraphina in a stern tone as she swirl away to leave. Her professor’s hand grabbed her arm, pulling her backward. 

" I have always appreciated your curiosity, but I prefer your eagerness for books and knowledge, " he whispered in her ears. " I suggest you should stay away from anything suspect. " 

" I am sorry, but I have to disagree here, Professor. Its not suspicion; I am sure about my suspect, and I would love to have your help with my plan. Please stay in my earshot, and if you view anything that might hurt anyone here, just hex the person I am going to approach, " directed the Ravenclaw as she dragged the young man along with her to the large window panes aligning the left side of the hall. She let go of his hand as an indication for him to halt, but she kept pacing towards the man who had captured her attention earlier.

"A very good evening, Mister..." the young witch started with a bow in the most seductive tone she could have achieved.

The tall man shifted his gaze from the view outside the window to the girl in red silk, who has just approached him. 

" Xayasith, it is, Miss Seraphina. " The reply came from the extremely handsome man as he gave her his hand. 

The young girl very zealously took his hand, and as she had expected, he raised the back of her hand to his lips and kissed it. 

" A gentleman ! Do I have the permission to admit that I always have a special liking for handsome gentleman like you? " blushed Seraphina as she took a step further. 

" My pleasure that a young witch who happens to be a Merlin awardee such as yourself is interested in a vampire who might be decades older than you. " Xayasith replied with the girl's hand still in his own. " I hope you won't mind dancing with me then ?" He added with a seductive smile as he escorted her to the dance floor.

The same routine of dance was followed by the pair, bodies pressed against each other. Xayasith's hands explored Seraphina's exposed back. The Ravenclaw felt gravely inappropriate, but she had assigned herself with something more important than her comfort. 

" Seeing your interest in a 120 year-old vampire, I suggest we should go somewhere which provides us with more privacy. " whispered the pale man as he leaned over Seraphina. 

The witch nodded in agreement and followed as he directing them towards an uninhabited hallway. Soon, as they were halfway inside the hallway, the young witch stopped walking, letting Xayasith ahead of her. She turned halfway to get a look at Professor Snape, who stood near the entrance of the hallway, pretending to attend the party, unsuspected by any passerby. 

" It's commendable how you fooled the world for more than ten years, Mr Xayasith, or should I address you by your birth name... Mr. Lucius Malfoy. " said Seraphina in a sharp tone. 

Lucius turned to face the girl, his blue eyes widened with disquietude, Quickly he stepped towards her, and in no time, Seraphina was pinned against the wall, her head banging against the cold wood by the former Death Eater - now vampire. 

" That's a very serious accusations, my dear lady, " he hissed in her ears, his demonic voice sending chills down the witch's spine. " And what made you think that I am who you say - Lucius Malfoy. " 

" Because you are not the Mr. Xayasith that you are pretending to be right now. Ten years ago you staged a family suicide for the world to believe that the Malfoy's preferred to die instead of spending their life in the filthy cells of Azkaban. The vampires promised you sanctuary in return for your family turning into vampires so that the blood sucking clan could flourish, but sadly your wife and 1 year old son couldn't survive the pain it caused, leaving you alone. You changed your appearance and luckily the Ministry wasn't able to track you " explained the young witch in mere whispers. 

" And what are you going to do with the controversial deduction you have come up with, Seraphina? " snapped Lucius as he banged his hands on both side of the witch. 

" Actually, a very nice idea has stuck me. How about we both go back to the dance floor, dance, then maybe you can ditch your partner, the great Severus Snape, for me, and then we both can spend this night together at my new mansion. I promise I will make this night worth not forgetting, You will remember me forever, my love, " hissed Malfoy as he leaned on Seraphina's exposed neck and caressed her skin with his thin lips. " Or this might be your last night as a witch, my dear. " 

The girl in red silk shivered badly at his caress, but what Lucius Malfoy didn't realized was that Seraphina was piercing her wand in his ribs, alarmed and defending herself. 

" I suggest a better plan, my dear Mr. Malfoy. I will use a spell on you that will wash off your disguise, and then I would love to escort you back to the main hall where the Minister for Magic is enjoying himself If you try to act smart, I shall inform you that I am not alone on this little adventure of mine. Now, I hope you will still be the gentleman you were a few moments ago, " said Seraphina in a hissing tone as Lucius stepped back, realization striking his Slytherin mind. The adept girl has taken his wand using their proximity as an ascendancy. A non-verbal spell from the Prefect caused Malfoy to look like he had appeared ten years prior, before the fall of the Dark Lord. As she had stated, Seraphina escorted Lucius Malfoy to the hall, her wand jabbing his torso. The platinum blonde hairs flowing down his shoulders as the crystalline blue eyes restored it’s original icy blue color. 

The merriment of the crowd dusted Love ? Love a Professor ? Love the formidable Professor Snape ? Love the man she had spent admiring her whole childhood ? Love someone who wasn't Alan ? How would she do it ?

Life was so ironic. Seraphina realized this fact now that she has been told that ' the one destined for her ' was the valiant , handsome and formidable Professor Severus Snape . She had been sprinting away from the affection of teachers for her whole life, but life , very amusingly, threw her into the most awkward situation one could fall into. 

A relaxing sleep was never meant for her , so she spent the night reading , completing her work, and watching movies, but all that her mind was occupied with was Professor Snape . Somewhere deep inside she was amused , though, because she had never in her wildest dreams thought about Batman in a romantic way. 

She had always thought they would share the relationship that Professor Snape and Miss Barclay shared , but she had been wrong, and she felt happy in being wrong . Although the thought felt immoral to her because she had never seen him as someone she would have liked to spend her time with. The reason was not that Batman was a bad person, but that Seraphina had been certain that he could never fall in love with a girl of her disposition. 

The students , the teachers , the ghosts - everyone was baffled at the sight of the Potion's Master. Professor Severus Snape has rejuvenated. The students were shocked to see the greasy bat of the Dungeons smiling - for no reason. It was a rare sight to see the Dungeon Master expressing himself the way he was currently doing. 

The Potion's Master didn't chastise the students for making mistakes in Potions; neither did he assigned many detentions . It felt as if the old Professor Snape was replaced by a new one. The reason was unknown to all except Albus , Minerva , Filius , Hagrid and Seraphina. They knew how, at every turn of life, the young man had to go through heart-wrenching pain , leaving him with no time to be compassionate to others. First there had been the Marauders , then the Dark Lord , then the demise of Lily , his parents, and after the fall of his former master, the apprehension about whom the Dark Lord had chosen for him - but now he had no reason to be bothered about anything or anyone. Now Seraphina was with him, and she had accepted him even though she wasn't obliged to do so. For the first time in his life, Severus felt like a free and lucky man, and the reason was Seraphina Barclay. 

ልረልክ

Love alters not with his brief hours and weeks, But bears it out even to the edge of doom. If this be error and upon me proved, I never writ, nor no man ever loved.

The words danced in front of Seraphina's eyes as she re-read the beautiful lines written by William Shakespeare about love . Her chamber was dimly lit as she sat on the navy-blue armchair kept near the window. The clock had just chimed midnight, but as usual, sleep was nowhere near her . She didn't know what had prompted her to read the works of the most romantic author in the Muggle world , but now she felt heavy and bored in her chamber. She wanted to watch a movie but unfortunately she couldn't, so she shut her book and placed it on the shelf which was lined with many such classics by Muggle as well as Wizard authors . The Ravenclaw loosely draped the white Kashmiri shawl around her and left the chamber to meet her centaur friend Aslan.

ልረልክ

Everything surrounding him was black and dark. The visibility was zero. He could see nothing except his hands. Out of the blue, he started falling. Letting out a terrorized scream, he realized that his fall wasn't coming to an end. He kept falling to oblivion when abruptly, Severus fell on a wooden floor covered with uncountable layers of dust. A stinging pain erupted in his left shoulder where he had landed . After what felt like an eternity, he raised himself up to see a room he had seen before-a small attic room with a broken fireplace and spider webs dangling from the wooden support frames. The mist of uncertainty unraveled from recollections as he remembered the attic room from Malfoy Manor where the price of his past was paid by Seraphina . 

A loud, agonized screech filled his ears as he strained to look in the direction from where the sound came . Slowly his vision adapted to the darkness of the room, and he succeeded in making out the figures of two people . Horror stuck him as he realized what he was seeing - Ravana - the voluptuous Death Eater--was scribing Gilderoy Lockhart's name on Seraphina's smoothly delicate bosom . Seraphina's scarred and bloodied face looked up at him, her eyes pleading. 

" H...help me... Prof... Professor... Snape... please " the Ravenclaw murmured weakly . Severus sprinted towards her, but the short distance between them seemed to have expanded and was stretching continuously . Severus keep sprinting towards the girl, but he wasn't able to reach her no matter what he did. 

He searched for his wand, but it wasn't with him . Seraphina's voice kept filling his ears, but he was helpless . Suddenly her voice fell silent. The Dungeon Master scanned the darkness for her figure, finding the face of the man with golden hair pressed against Seraphina's , a lonely tear falling down her cheek. A volcano of rage erupted inside him. All he wanted was to hex Gilderoy Lockhart with an Unforgivable curse, but he felt disgusted in his inability to do anything. 

Severus was still sprinting , trying to reach Seraphina. To his surprise, the distance seemed to have stopped expanding as he finally reached the young witch who was now lying on the floor . Her pitiable form raised a hand towards his black figure. In no time, the Potion's Master was kneeling next to her delicate body. He took her small head in his hands, wiping the blood off with his sleeve. 

" I...saved...you , b...but...you... di...dn't...saved...me, " mumbled Seraphina agonizingly. Severus leaned to hear her words clearly .

" No, nothing will happen to you , Seraphina . I won't let anyone hurt you anymore , I promise," the young Professor whispered back. Tears were escaping his eyes unbidden. 

A sad smile crept on her face as she opened her mouth to speak . The Ravenclaw witch raised her hand to place it on the slender face of her Professor , wiping his tears with her bloodied fingers. 

" I love yo..." the words left her lips in no more than whispers as her body shivered violently as gargantuan pieces of glass erupted from the witch's chest . The raven eyes which were always filled with warmth and compassion lost their emotion as very slowly, the life drained out of her orbs right in front of his eyes. Severus refused to believe she was gone. He vigorously shook the limp body of the girl he had begun to care for. Sadly, her dead body didn't accept his attempts to revive her. Seraphina silently laid there , looking at peace. 

Death wasn't kind, and Severus knew that. It snatched where it could, taking people who were far too young, far too good. It didn't pretend to care; it didn't pretend to distinguish. The Potion's Master had felt and survived the wrath of death . 

The hooded veil of death had hung over the world for a long time, always threatening. Death had ripped away a part of her, the part of her that was most loved. He'd dealt with so much death in his lifetime. First his mother , then his only friend Lily, and now the girl who was the reason he wanted to live again.

The young man's face was sunken and haunted; his mind cold and empty. Eventually, he let out a defeated , agonized, and frustrated scream in his fury that the most empathetic person he knew had been taken from him. 

The dead body that was in his arms started to leave his embrace , The Dungeon Master saw Seraphina's body slowly rising in the air , leaving his arms . By that time, he could see her back where the glass had stabbed through her. He didn't want to let go of her, but it felt as if hundreds of invisible hands were pulling him away from Seraphina. Even though she was dead , he felt protective of her and didn't want to leave her proximity . 

The young Wizard noticed movement in Seraphina's chest, which was dangling in mid air - she was alive . He wanted to go near her, but the imperceptible hands wouldn't let go of him. The surroundings turned spine-chillingly cold; and a black , hooded figure appeared from nowhere. A gliding, wraithlike, Dark creature flew near the flying body of Seraphina . A Dementor . Severus let out another excruciating scream . He knew what those horrid creatures could do. He struggled against the hands that bound him fruitlessly. He couldn't let that gruesome creation suck the girl's soul .

The Dementor slid the hood off its head, revealing a rotten face of what could have been human once. The face didn't have proper skin, neither did it have features like a nose or eyes. In place of eyes were hollow sockets which had the capacity to look beyond the human body. It could pierce through a mortal's soul to dig out every happiness they had ever felt. The rotten-faced Dementor leaned over Seraphina's shivering face , his rotten lips caressed the witch's, and painstakingly slowly he started sucking out her soul. 

" Leave her ! " Severus shouted, but it seemed to have no effect on the soul-sucking creature. " Take my soul , but leave her !" yelled the man, but the response was the same. 

Soon the Dementor pulled back, and the flying body of the young witch thudded on the wooden floor. This time she didn't move. No life was left in her raven eyes . Finally, the hands containing him left, but he couldn't reach her body as it felt like he was being pulled up in the air. He screamed . 

Severus woke as if it was an emergency, as if sleeping had became a dangerous thing. His heart was beating furiously, and there was a buzzing in his brain. and together they are as panic with jump-leads. A curtain of cold sweat had formed all over his face and bare torso . It had been a nightmare ! he thought to himself; it had been horrific. The idea of sleeping again was not feasible to him so he pulled on his black robe over himself and stormed out of his chamber which felt like an Azkaban cell. 

ልረልክ

Seraphina stood in the avar of the mirky forbidden forest , aimlessly wandering in it's kaira . Her young mind was still occupied by Batman; many thoughts raced inside her mind . 

A rustling sound of footsteps on avar filled her ears. She became alarmed as she slipped the wand down from her sleeves. She kept walking in the same aimless manner, but this time her mind was alert for any foe . All at once she bumped against someone. Her alertness faded into dust as she realized the presence of another person and her equilibrium wavered, causing her to fall hard onto the cold ground. 

" I am happy you didn't fall because you had your eyes fixed on a book and not the path laid in front if you, " a deep, cavernous voice filled the air of the forest as he leaned to ensure she was okay. 

The sly smirk could be heard in the tone of the man. Seraphina knew who it was; that voice, by no means, could be forgotten. In it she sensed his thunderous heart rate and wondered about it… Batman reached out to help her stand up. She took his hand without much hesitation this time. Dusting herself off, the young witch asked him with a concerned look -

" Are you all right, Professor Snape ? Your heart is beating wildly. " 

" I am all right, Miss Barclay ; thanks for your concern . I have always wondered what fascination this treacherous forest possesses that you like visiting it so often? " he asked. 

" What is your analysis ?" The Ravenclaw witch queried. 

" That it's still impossible to understand a Ravenclaw; especially when we're talking about you, Miss Barclay " said Batman. Seraphina gave him a warm smile at the comment . 

Another rustling sound of walking on avar filled the silence. A large, black figure appeared from the thick woods. It was Aslan, the witch's Centaur friend. Seraphina greeted him with a Centaur's handshake and introduced him to her Professor. The black haired creature fixed the young Wizard with a deeply analytical look, as if contemplating his soul. 

" Why do you punish yourself, young Wizard ?" said Aslan in the husky voice he possessed. 

The Wizarding duo gave him a look of pure and raw bafflement; neither of them knew what the half- horse- half - man meant. 

" Lily wasn't your first love, " declared the Centaur after a long moment of silence. The statement would have surely enraged him if it would have been said to him seven or eight months prior, but now, neither the statement nor the name angered him. Lily was just another name to him now. 

" Aslan, I don't think it's right for any of us to intrude in this personal matter, " Seraphina broke in. 

" What do you mean by that Aslan ?" questioned Severus. 

" You have punished yourself everyday for the past 10 years by isolating yourself from the world, by running away from the love and compassion it had longed to grace you with because you felt you weren't able to save the life of the woman you loved. It's not true. Neither was she your first love, nor were you two destined for each other like you and Angel are. You finally stopped loathing yourself, but still there is something inside your constricted heart that you need to forget and move on. " replied the raven-haired creature. 

" Her death was my mistake, and I will always be guilty for that because I was incapable of saving the girl I loved. But how did you know all about this? I strongly assume Miss Barclay hasn't told you anything about this concern, " vocalized the young Professor. 

" Angel, I am aware that you can answer his questions more prudently than I can, " said the Centaur as he turned towards his witch friend. 

" Please answer my questions if you can, Miss Barclay, " Batman directed to her before Seraphina could have spoken another syllable. 

Seraphina let out a heavy sigh before answering her Professor. Her eyes were cast down with uncertainty. 

" You know that when I use Diérchetai, I am also obliged to feel what a person feels at a particular situation. That has caused me to feel love a hundred thousand times. When I Diérchetai'd you, what I felt inside you wasn't the love I have witnessed and felt uncountable times. "

" Don't get me wrong here, but what you felt for Mrs. Potter was hunger for affection, and it is by no means wrong. You were deprived of love your whole life, and when Mrs. Potter became your friend, you felt understood, and that caused you to mistake her affection as love. And when Lord Voldemort killed her, the guilt pushed you in the path of vengeance, eventually leading you to greatness. 

"You mourned over her loss, believing it to be the loss of a love that it never was . It was always a friendship. Mrs. Potter could never reciprocate your feelings because she never felt for you that way. She was never the one destined for you. I have fallen in love myself, and neither you nor anyone will believe it, keeping in mind my age, but as I have said, I have felt love numerous times, and what I felt for that man was the same-maybe even more passionate. Similar to you, the man I loved was never able to reciprocate my feelings, but seeing him happy gives me merriment, and that's enough for me. Sadly, that wasn't what you felt for Mrs. Potter. " 

" But what worries Aslan and me more is your cold contempt for her. I know you have your own reasons for feeling that, and I am not claiming you are wrong, but please don't hold this contempt for the woman who was the only friend you have ever had. Don't mourn that you lost the woman you loved because she wasn't that, but feel sorry for your loss over the closest friend you ever had, " said the Ravenclaw witch, her raven orbs fixed on her Professor's. In her eyes was sympathy, and Severus felt the need of it. 

Lily had never been his love. Was that the reason he'd wanted revenge over her death, and was that the reason that he was never able to accept her denial of his feelings? Why was it that seeing Seraphina happy gave him more happiness than winning the Order of Merlin itself ? Was this the reason why instead of wanting her love back and Seraphina in his life, Severus was convinced to let go of her to make her happy ? Although the Dungeon Master never believed in destiny's fate, knowing Seraphina and observing her firm faith in destiny had forced him to accept that maybe it was his destiny to have the adorable Ravenclaw - Seraphina--in his life instead of the beautiful Gryffindor - Lily. He had to admit he was much happier this way. At every point, Seraphina was trying to understand him like he was trying to understand her. But one thing wasn't fitting in. 

" Why didn't you even try to confess your love to that man? How were you so sure that he wouldn't have chosen you ?" asked Severus after a long moment of silence in which every word the young witch spoke sunk in. 

Seraphina looked up at him before answering the question. 

" My confession of love would have had no value, Professor. Sometimes happiness comes at a cost, and the happiness I received from seeing him happy was the cost of my own love for him.

" I was in love with a 40 year-old man and I accept that I never met him, and it was obvious that a man of his disposition could have never liked a girl like me. Now I know you would shove me off by saying that it is a mere teenage crush, but as I said, I have felt what love makes you feel, and that was exactly what I felt for him. But nothing could have happened, so I moved on. Mourning over things that are uncontrollable is not so wise in my not - so - humble opinion, Professor, " explained the sixteen-year-old too - mature - for - her - age witch. 

Severus was simply astounded by her assertion. The girl he had imprinted upon was mature, lovable, and had already fallen in love before. But the thing that caused his heart to strain was the fact that he hadn't been able to move beyond his hunger for affection, but this girl had moved past her unreciprocated love. 

" Why did you love when you knew there was nothing that could have happened ?" The man asked.

" I loved because I could, not because I wanted love back, " Seraphina said simply, as if stating the obvious. 

Severus tried to control the wave of emotions erupting inside him. The Potion's Master wanted to melt in her arms like before. He wanted to feel the same protective feeling her embrace radiated, but Seraphina wanted to maintain a distance while she was in school, and he didn't want to cross the line like before. While his mind was busy suppressing his feeling's, the unexpected happened: Seraphina pulled him into her arms. The hollow feeling inside him filled as soon as she embraced his stiff body. He melted in her arms. A tear rolled down his cheek as he realized his whole life he had mistaken affection for love and had lost a lovely friend. The cold contempt inside him had reflected itself in his behavior. 

" It's fine to make mistakes, but what's more important is to correct them. Just don't hold your contempt, and maybe it will help you feel better, " she whispered in his ears as she traced circles on his back. 

" But why did you tell me all this? I It was my past I was trying to forget, " whispered back the young man. 

" I clarified your feelings because you weren't able to do so yourself, Professor. If you want to forget your past, it is impossible. Your past is that part of you that cannot be kept hidden or be buried. " Seraphina cooed . " And it's fine to express yourself, sir. Always being hard on yourself is not the solution to every problem. Don't be an aonaran anymore. " she continued. 

A smile crept on Aslan's face upon seeing the closeness between the couple standing in front of him. The pair pulled apart, their eyes locked upon each other. Seraphina regained her senses and stepped back upon realizing that her body was pressed against her Professor's. She turned cerise as the realization. 

" I am aware of the fact that you are very upset with me due to this curse, but please forgive me if you can, " murmured Professor Snape. 

" I am not upset; I am outraged, sir, but not with you. I am very angry with Lord Voldemort. How could a man of his disposition curse someone like you with such a horrendous curse ? He forced you to imprint upon me without either of our permission. You deserve so much better than someone like me. " snorted the witch. 

" Forgive me, but I have to disagree with your assertion, Miss Barclay. I lived the last ten years of my life in the shadows fear. I was very uncertain of the girl I would have to imprint on, but when it was revealed that it was you, I breathed a sigh of relief after all that time. I don't know why you feel like I deserve someone better than you, because of all the people I know, you are the best. Your soul is the purest of all, and the innocence that your heart prevails is angelic," said Batman compassionately. 

Seraphina looked up at him with a baffled look upon her delicate face. No one had ever held her in such high regard. She cast down her eyes coyly. 

" This is yours, angel, " the deep voice of the Centaur broke into the awkward silence that has crept over the two. The duo shifted their gaze to him to see a blue and silver colored woolen scarf in his hairy hands. 

" That was a gift, Aslan, " remarked the Ravenclaw. 

" It belongs to you, " he simply added as he wrapped the scarf loosely around her neck. Seraphina gave him a warm smile. 

" What did you see in your nightmare, Professor. " asked the young girl simply. 

Severus didn't reply. He didn't possess the dauntlessness to express his fear in words. But Seraphina didn't waited for his answer for too long. 

" I know what you saw, and I didn't use diérchetai to find out," vocalized the Prefect. Her tone was deep and concerned. " Don't worry, I am right here in front of you, alive and breathing. It's fine. it was just a nightmare. Although I don't get the pleasure of sleep but when occasionally I receive the pleasure, it's never without a bad dream from Malfoy Manor or my Muggle school, " she continued as she passed him a warm smile. Her smiling visage suffused with love and joy; a smile that set the world right for him. 

A deiform voice filled their ears as the pair was engulfed in a compassionate gaze, causing them to shift their gaze to the caligo surroundings. A river of white galad encircled them in a wavy motion. The couple was awestruck by the angelic light. Suddenly, the wand gripped in Severus' hand left his pale, slender fingers and flew away from him, soaring above their heads. The same happened with the Ravenclaw witch's Aspen wand. The flittering wands grabbed Seraphina and Severus' attention so that they didn't notice the downpour of light that was encircling them. It divided into two separate crystalline billows of bright light. Eventually, the crystalized mist started taking the shape of identifiable animals just like Patronuses. An angelically beautiful White Stallion took the place of the white billow which stood there a few seconds earlier. The horse stood mid-air proudly with his mane billowing around his head, stretched up proudly, radiating his wisdom and power. The other mist transformed into a Camarillo mare. Just like it's counterpart, it stood with it's head stretched upward with pride, but unlike the male, she didn't radiate power, but a compassionate aura came from her. 

The stallion stepped towards the Camarillo, and the mare reciprocated. Soon they were standing in front of each other, both of their proud heads bowed toward the other out of admiration and respect. After the small gesture of respect, the couple rested their heads on each other's, resembling a human hug. The scene looked as if the souls of the horses were being woven into each other. The compassionate hug of the Patronuses came to a halt as they pulled apart and ran in opposite directions. While the Stallion followed the direction his head was facing the mare chose the direction her head faced. After sprinting on the path of the mist from which they had taken birth, they both found themselves facing each other again, this time neither galloped and the misty Patronus body of the stallion and Camarillo touched and dissolved into the same white misty billow from which they originated from. 

The divine white mist parted into strands of light flowing towards the wands that still hovered above the Ravenclaw and the Dungeon Master's head, filling inside from the end of the wooden staff. Soon the light diminished as it filled into the yew and Aspen wands respectively, and they dropped back into the witch’s and wizard’s hands, leaving the two dumbfoundedly staring above their heads. A long silence drew out among the three magical beings, while the wizard and the witch didn't know what to say. The Centaur, on the other hand, was ready with his words, but he kept his silence to give what the pair had just seen the time to sink in. 

" Two souls have been bound by the great and magnificent force of divinity itself." Aslan's dark voice filled the awkward silence. 

Seraphina and Severus shifted their gaze to Aslan, a mixed expression of bafflement and awe showing on their faces. 

" Do you mean those were Patronuses...?" The words left Severus' lips in no more than a whisper. 

" How could that happen...?" murmured Seraphina. She fixed Aslan with a look of hunger - hunger for knowledge. 

" The Patronus of that White Stallion pervaded your wand, brave wizard, and the Camarillo chose your wand, Angel. A Stallion is a Camarillo's partner, and your Patronuses have chosen one another," declared the half-horse - half- man in an intellectually superior tone. 

" But this can't happen. My Patronus is a doe, " argued Severus. 

" It has changed, my dear Wizard. Your happiness, which was once linked with a person who's Patronus was a doe has now found new happiness. You have emotionally changed, and the reason for that is Angel. She has brought happiness to you, and that is why her Patronus' counterpart is your new Patronus," explained Aslan intellectually. 

" This can't happen... This is impossible... I have no Patronus, so how can the counterpart of my Patronus comes into existence? " The words had left Seraphina's lips before she could think clearly. 

Severus turned to face the girl as he spoke. 

" Why do you not have a Patronus?"

" Diérchetai is worse than a curse. It forces me to live hundreds of thousands of lives. My reaction to any situation is greatly affected by other's experience. Whenever I experience any situation, my mind has recollections of other's experiences, and then my actions take on the best of what I can make out of those recollections. It's like living a million lives and remembering each of them clearly. True happiness, sadness and even excitement weren’t solely mine... until...until the bouquet reached me... and you told me about the curse...and you took me to the ball -" said the Ravenclaw. 

" All these situations forced you to end up thinking like Seraphina and not like those people whose memories you have lived through, " the Potions Master completed the statement for her. 

" Severus wants to live because of you, and you are thinking like yourself because of him, " stated Aslan. 

ልረልክ

The next morning, Seraphina sat at the Prefect's table next to Jason Botts, treating herself with toast , eggs and bacon, with a glass of pumpkin juice. Routinely, the witch had received many letters since her Merlin award, but she also replied to every one of the letters as a sign of acknowledgement and respect towards the senders. On this very fine morning, she received around 20 letters from all over the Wizarding World. Among the pile of letters stacked in front of her was a cardinal colored envelope, a few lines were written in a curvy handwriting reading - 

For the dearest and most beautiful girl in the world 

Seraphina buried her head in her hands upon reading the line. It had started infuriating her how every letter designated to her was filled with glorified and exaggerated admiration for either her looks ( which she felt weren't commendable enough for such praise ) or her Merlin award. Nonchalantly, she opened the envelope, revealing a letter written on silk parchment, reading - 

Dear Seraphina Barclay, 

Greetings from my side.

This letter is a personal invitation for you for my opera ' La Belle et la Bête '. It would give me immense pleasure to have you in my audience and showcase to you the most aesthetic music your ears have ever listened to. And a party will also be organized for the special guests after the Opera. 

Two tickets are in the envelope with this letter for you and your partner for the most beautiful evening I can offer you. 

Yours lovingly,   
Joshua Typhius

Seraphina skimmed through the exquisite piece of parchment held in her hand with a frustrated thought in her mind... 

Another invitation for an expensive party or theater show by some famous vampire artist. 

After letting out an annoyed sigh, she pulled out a parchment from her bag and started writing an apology letter for the famous vampire opera singer Joshua. She had written uncountable numbers of those letters to those who had sent her invitations to lavish parties and other time-wasting occasions. After completing her letter, she fastened it to her owl Hans’ brown claws and sent him to Mr. Typhius.

ልረልክ

Walking towards the Headmaster's office on the seventh floor, Seraphina's heart pounded as her mind conjured up the many possibilities of what the old Wizard wanted to tell her now. Once she ascended the Gargoyle's staircase, she softly knocked at the door. After receiving permission to enter, she entered the office quietly. Inside the office sat the old wizard, as always, and with him sat a very handsome man with crisp blond hair, a well-carved face, and glistening-blue eyes sat across him on the other side of the desk. They both gazed at her as the Ravenclaw recognized him from the newspaper and posters that had been pasted all across Diagonal Ally. It was Typhius, the world famous vampire opera singer. After greeting the Headmaster, she turned towards the handsome man. 

" Good evening, Mr. Typhius. " 

" Good evening, Miss Barclay. " He returned. 

Turning towards the old wizard she asked - " Sir, you called for me ?" 

" No, actually it's Mr. Typhius who called for you. He is not very pleased by the fact that you rejected his invitation to his opera, " Albus explained, his tone devoid of any expression. 

Seraphina turned her gaze to the blond man. 

" Sir, I will simply not be able to attend your promising opera because I must abide by the school laws," she explained. 

" And if I say that I received special permission from Headmaster Dumbledore so that you can attend the show, then what will be you answer, Miss Barclay?" asked Typhius.

" I would have loved to attend, but I must tell you that I despise special treatment and the exceptions that are made for me, " said Seraphina, her voice stern and her body ridge. 

" Treat yourself a little after facing those Death Eaters, my dear lady! " exclaimed the singer melodiously. 

" I don't mind you leaving the castle if you promise to return safe and sound, " added Albus. 

" Ok, " said Seraphina. 

She always loved music, and after all that she has been going through, she needed something good to treat herself with. The divine art of music always relaxed her mind and body. 

" But you may look for a partner who isn't a Hogwarts student. I don't have any concrete reason to let any other student leave the castle, Seraphina, " instructed Albus. 

" Excellent, " squeaked Typhius zealously as he shook hands with the old wizard and took the small black box that he had constantly kept near him, which had been unnoticed by her. 

" So, it would be an honor if you accepted a small gift from me. You might want this tonight. I would take it as an honor if you do so, " he added. 

" I am sorry but..." Seraphina tried to protest, but her protest was cut short by the vampire who stood from his seat and forcefully handed her the box. 

" Please, Miss Seraphina, it's a request. " he requested one last time and after giving her a breathtaking smile, strode out of the office. Seraphina blankly stared at the box and then at the door he had shut behind himself. Her mind was soon occupied with what Professor Dumbledore had said so she turned to face him. 

" You want me to go with Professor Snape, is that right Headmaster ?" asked the young witch cunningly. 

" I made a promise, Seraphina," Albus reciprocated her cunning. 

ልረልክ 

Her soft knock on mahogany wood filled the eerie silence of the entrance hole which was curtained by the warrior’s portrait.. Her heart rate increased as she stood there silently waiting for Professor Snape to open the door. No reply came from the other side, so she knocked again. The response was the same. Her manners didn't allowed her to knock again, but as she turned to leave, the rustling sound of metal unlocking fell upon her ears, sending chills down her spine. The reason wasn't that she was afraid of the Potions Master, but she feared the response he would have to her proposal. 

She had walked down to Professor Snape's chambers to ask him whether he would mind going on a ' supposed date ' to the opera with her. The Ravenclaw didn't want to cross the lines she had set previously, but the old Wizard wasn't wasting any opportunity to bring her professor and her closer. Somewhere deep inside her, though, she knew she liked the company of Batman more than anyone else's, and maybe going to the opera with him might give them more private moments to know each other better. 

" Miss Barclay, may I know the reason of your visit ?" Severus Snape’s voice filled her ears, breaking into the chain of thoughts her mind was processing. 

Turning to face him, she noticed Professor Snape was leaning on the door pane holding the door with one hand and the other hand was occupied by a book on Dark Arts. Her eyes looked down in shyness as she tried to vocalize her thoughts but failed penuriously. 

Severus' eyes scanned her as he arched his eyebrows to indicate his curiousness for the young witch's answer. The Potion’s Master wasn't wearing his daily robes, but instead was dressed in a pair of black trousers and a white shirt which was accompanied with a velvet-green waist coat - just like a gentleman. A wave of self consciousness flushed down Seraphina's body as she gazed at the man standing in front of her. She on the other hand wore a pair of Muggle jeans with a grey sweater. They both looked poles apart in their respective robes. 

" I... I...came..." Seraphina tried to utter the syllables. 

" I might suggest that you should come inside, Miss Barclay, " said Batman as he held the door open for the Ravenclaw to enter his private chamber. She opened her mouth to let out a protest, but he turned suddenly, leaving the door open for her. The witch hesitated but eventually shrugged off the hesitation and entered the room. She yet again froze near the desk, after all he hadn't asked her to sit. 

" The seat isn't made of spines, Miss Barclay. It won't hurt you. At least it doesn't hurt me, " commented Severus as he walked towards the shelf stacked with numerous pricey bottles of possibly liquor. She wasn't sure about the contents of those exquisite looking bottles. 

Seraphina's eyes widen at seeing him near the liquor shelf, pouring the content of one such bottle into two glasses, one of them obviously for her. 

Is he really going to ask me to drink with him in his chamber ? the thought stuck her. Slowly he walked up to her and handed her one glass and sat on the armchair kept near the fireplace. 

" Sir, I am very sorry to inform you that I don't drink any liquor other than red wine, " said the young witch uncertainly. 

Severus let a small chuckle escape his lips as he looked up at Seraphina, a look of innocence cast over his slender face for a split second. 

" I am in my complete senses, Miss Barclay. Even if I am intoxicated, I would be cautious enough to never offer you alcohol. I have witnessed your ability as a drunkard, and it was amusing, I must say. Nonetheless, I have myself given up drinking a long time ago," said Severus in his velvety voice. 

The Ravenclaw prefect heard what her Professor said. His words only caused her to bow her head out of embarrassment. She walked up to his working desk leaning on it. 

" So what is it, if I may ask ?" she asked, trying to change the topic. 

" Lemon lavender, " Severus said plainly. 

She remembered the drink from the night of the Yule Ball. A small smile crept on her face as she sipped the drink without a second thought. 

" So..." Severus repeated his request for her to vocalize her reason for the visit. 

Abruptly life seemed to have come into his chamber as the witch had entered it, he mused to himself. 

" I was wondering whether you are free tonight," started Seraphina with a great deal of uncertainty reflecting in her voice. " Actually, I have received two tickets to an opera ..." she continued in the same way, but now she was at the loss of words. 

" And you want me to accompany you… " Severus completed for her. 

" Yes " she replied in a small voice. 

" Then I suppose the answer is yes, " declared the Dungeon Master. 

The Ravenclaw shot him a surprised glance. She wasn't expecting a straight yes, but his answer only made the situation less awkward for her, and it relieved the girl. 

The pair sipped their drinks in complete silence; neither knew what they should converse upon. Seraphina's raven eyes were, very unknowingly, locked upon the big bookshelves which were stacked with vintage and rare books. With an awestruck look on her delicate face, she recognized some books she had only read about in other books.. After sipping the contents of her glass, she elegantly placed it on the desk and walked silently towards the bookshelf. 

" Is that really ' The book of Soyga ' also known as ' The book of Death? ' " exclaimed the Ravenclaw witch as her eyes beheld the old, crimson-paged book. 

" I appreciate your knowledge and curiosity for books, Miss Barclay. Yes, it is the ' Book of Soyga. ' Only 13 such copied were made of this book, and - " the Potion’s Master’s explanation was gently cut off by the girl. 

" And one of the copies went missing. It was later found in the Muggle world. They still believe it is some sort of evil spirited and demonic book, but in actuality, it is just a book about Dark Arts from 450 A. D." added the girl without realizing that she was speaking. 

" It's worth appreciating that you bother to gain knowledge about every topic. I assume that you might love to read this, " said Severus as he pulled out the old copy of the ' Book of Soyga ' and extended it towards the girl. 

" That's very courteous of you, Professor Snape. It's the most precious book I could ever read. I don't know how I could ever thank you for lending me this book, " exclaimed the witch as she took the book from her Professor. 

Walking up to the desk, she delicately placed the book on the ebony-wood working table, as if it was a newborn baby that needed to be handled with care. In the same delicate manner, she flickered through the crimson pages, reading the Latin manuscript with admiration and respect. 

" So you can read Latin too, " commented the young Professor as he contemplated her reading the book without any difficulty. 

" Yes, actually I can speak Russian, Spanish, French, Hindi, German, Korean, traditional Chinese and simplified Japanese. Also I can read Latin, Harrapan manuscript and Egyptian, " stated Seraphina, her eyes still fixed on the old book. Although there were many things that had made Severus' eyes widen in the past, but hearing what the girl could do had its own effect. Eight language at the age of sixteen! 

" I would have believed a 100 year-old Wizard would have said that to me. No offense, but don't you seem too young for storing this much knowledge inside your brain, Miss Barclay? " said Severus, still astound. 

" Diérchetai is worse than it seem, Professor Snape.I It's a nightmare from which you can never wake up. " gravely sighed the young girl before continuing further. 

Her eyes no longer stared upon the book, but instead she looked up at her Professor who stood near bookshelf. 

" As you know, I feel everything they feel but I also live their entire lives inside my head. And it's not only the lives of just British Wizards that I have lived. Living their lives means learning their language to understand them. It gave me the knowledge of their language, the traditions they follow, and the way they live their life. Sadly, I was only able to learn a few languages, " she added. 

" So, it means that you didn't learnt these languages from anyone; it was your gift that helped you gain this much knowledge ?" inquired Batman admiringly. 

Seraphina simply nodded in reply; her raven eyes were back on the book. Her back was hunched, her knees bent, and her fragile-looking fingers traced lines under the words and incantations written in Latin. 

Severus' eyes were fixed upon her. He was very amused by the girls curiosity for past history. The Potion’s Master was sure that many of the dunderheads he was teaching wouldn't even have the slightest idea about the book Seraphina was reading with such interest. Many a times Minerva, and even Albus, had nagged about the young witch not being in Gryffindor because of her gallantry, she had put exposition to. Even Pomona Sprout - the head of Hufflepuff fell into a mild argument with Flitwick, claiming Seraphina's hardworking and loyal nature meant that she should have been sorted into Hufflepuff. Of all the House Heads, the young Professor never complained about not being able to have the seventeen-year-old witch in his house because he was much more lucky than that - the Ravenclaw was in his life and there was nothing more that he wanted to ask for. Currently, though, he wanted Seraphina to comfortably sit and not hurt her body much. 

" You can use my desk for enjoying your newfound knowledge, Miss Barclay, " said Severus, breaking the silence that had filled the room. 

" Oh ! No, I am fine, Professor Snape, " cried Seraphina as if the words of the man had awakened her from a peaceful slumber. " I am just about to take my leave, please allow me, " she added as she closed the book in the most delicate manner and started moving towards the door, leaving the book on the desk. 

" You forgot the book, Miss Barclay, " the young man called to her as he notice the book on the desk. 

Turning to face him, the girl had a look of puzzlement on her delicate face. 

" You are lending me a book for reading? " she vocalized her surprise. 

" Yes, " replied Severus. 

" What ! I thought you gave it to me just to take a look at its contents. " joyously exclaimed Seraphina as she took the book from her Professor. 

" I am well aware of the fact that you would care for a book more than you would care for yourself, so I have no qualms about lending you this because this book, “ explained the Professor. 

By now a large and genuinely warm smile crept over Seraphina's lips. 

" Thanks, " she simply added as she turned to leave. 

" Excuse me, Miss Barclay, but when should I come to pick you up from your dorm, for our..." For the first time in his life, the young master was at the loss for words. Calling their evening a date would be prudent right? The question occupied his mind. The Ravenclaw herself wasn't sure what her evening with Professor Snape should be called. 

" Evening, " Severus completed with a light blush covering his pale face. It wasn't the first time he had gone on a date, but this was the first time it hadn’t been Albus or Minerva who had sent him on a date. 

" There is no need to pick me up from the dorm, Professor Snape. We will meet at Headmaster Dumbledore's office and use his floo, which has already been connected to the Wattingham Fort--also known as Forteresse de la Tayonne. Actually, I request this favor from the Headmaster because we are both going, and that only would have attracted unwanted attention. If you would have picked me up from my dorm, other students would surely start gossiping, " informed the young witch smartly. " See you in a few hours, Professor, " she added as she took her leave, leaving Severus with the same hollow feeling he had felt when she left him alone. 

ልረልክ

After attending all her classes that day, she stood in front of Elenore. It took a lot, of course, for Seraphina to tell Elenore that she was going to the Vampire’s Opera. Elenore acted as if she was fainting on her friend's bed in hearing it. Lucifer, who sat on the armchair, looked stunned in hearing the news, too. 

" Girl, you are lucky. Joshua's shows are always sold out, and you got a VIP ticket. Those tickets are expensive as hell. And he also invited you to the party he always organizes after his show for all the VIP audience, " said Lucifer, reading the letter the vampire had sent his friend. George was leaning on the armchair, peeping at the letter. 

She heard her friend’s words, but she didn't acknowledged them. The witch was more bothered about her dress for this evening. Gladly, her eyes fell upon the navy blue dress she had worn for her award ceremony. As she pressed the dress against her delicate figure to get a look at herself in the mirror, an overwhelmed Elenore jumped up from the bed. 

" You aren’t goanna wear this ! " said Elenore as she shoved the dress to the floor and away from her friend. 

" Hey! What's bad about this one ? " protested Seraphina as she picked up the navy blue fabric from the ground. 

" Girl, you are a celebrity now: the youngest Merlin awardee ! You can't wear the same dress you wore for the ceremony to the Opera!" yelled George. 

" Ok then, jeans and a sweatshirt it is, " mocked Seraphina. 

" Seph, listen my dear friend. You are beautiful--lovely--why do you like to cover yourself up? Just show off a little, " said Elenore as she gave her friend a half hug. 

" Listen Elenore, I don't wear dresses much, and when I was coming to Hogwarts, I didn't pack the few dresses I possessed because I didn't have the slightest clue that this all would happen. So, please let me be the way I am. My image in people's minds doesn't matter to me, " replied the young witch. 

" Batman's image matters to you very much, but not your own? " remarked Lucifer. 

" Luc..." started Seraphina, but her statement was cut off by George, who stood near the desk is his friend's chamber where she had placed the box Joshua had given her. 

" Hey Seph, why aren’t you opening the box he gifted you ?" asked the little Hufflepuff innocently. 

" Leave it, George. I wouldn't wear it, no matter whatever it is. I am so done with these gifts I keep receiving, " snorted the Merlin recipient. 

" Listen Seph, if one man was bad in your life it doesn't mean everyone is bad. My dad also left us, but then mother remarried, and now we are a happy family. Don't be too early to judge things. And you always say to me to give everything a chance. You never know what life brings for you, " vocalized George as he dragged Seraphina to her bed and made her sit, cupping her face with his hands. 

The Ravenclaw witch bit her lip in hesitation, but her friend's words seemed to have replenished the faith in destiny she had lost. Walking up to the box, she read the golden lettering on the leather. 

" Specially made for a girl worth losing the world for. " 

A small chuckle left her lips at the statement, but this time frustration didn't fill her like it used to. Opening the box, Seraphina was left awestruck by the what her eyes beheld. 

ልረልክ 

Severus patiently waited for his ' date ' in Albus' office. He was supposed to leave the castle with Seraphina by six p.m. Like always, he wore his daily robes, but his heart was curious to know what the girl was going to wear tonight. Albus amusingly contemplated his colleague's impatience to see his partner. 

" Finally ! You both are getting along well, I suppose, " commented the old Wizard in a cunning tone. 

" Thank Seraphina for that, " Severus replied in a undertone. 

Their nonchalant conversation was brought to an end with a soft knock on the door. Both men knew who was on the other side of the door, and they was excited to see the girl. After Albus granted permission, the door opened with a creaking sound, revealing Seraphina, who was clad in red silk. 

Severus' eyes widened at the sight. It was always surprising how the witch managed to look different and alluring at every event. The red dress fit her slim form in the most aesthetic manner, a deep, yet appropriate, drop at the bosom and there was next to no fabric that covered her back. Instead, the back was covered with red lace. Flowing down to the floor, the dress had a slit on the right side going up to the knee. A little makeup and a messy bun completed her look. 

The Potions Master's eyes widened upon seeing the admirable witch in a dress that made her look like the human form of the goddess Athena - the goddess of wisdom and beauty. Surely, she was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen in his life. 

" I am so sorry for keeping you waiting Professor Snape and Headmaster Dumbledore. Elenore wouldn’t let me leave without a little makeup and the hairstyle. Please forgive me, " apologized Seraphina as she walked up to the man clad in black. She seemed uneasy, the Dungeon Master noticed.   
Professor Snape looked handsome. Actually, he was always the same; the difference was just the way Seraphina viewed him. This evening she didn't see a Professor standing in front of her, but instead, she saw a handsome, well-dressed gentleman who seemed wonderstruck at the sight of her. 

" I suppose you both should leave, otherwise you might miss the opera, " broke in the Headmaster. 

The pair nodded on reply and stepped into the fireplace. Severus threw the floo powder as the words ' Wattingham Fort ' left his lips. 

" I hope you enjoy your date, " the pair heard the fading voice of Albus before the green flames fully engulfed them. 

Soon they both were falling into oblivion, hands intertwined tightly. The visibility was zero as darkness encompassed them. Abruptly they thudded on a tiled floor. The witch's equilibrium strayed, but the young man accompanying her held her wrist. Eventually, they found themselves inside a life-sized fireplace. Exiting the fireplace, the couple stepped into a hallway on which laid a red and golden carpet. Many young Wizards were posted just outside the Floo entrance to help the guests. The young man who was posted outside the Floo Seraphina and Severus' emerged from greeted them zealously and escorted them inside theater to the VIP seats booked for them. 

The sanguine theater was just like a Muggle one with rows and columns of seats and the stage which laid before them. Severus and Seraphina’s seats were in the balcony, which graced the audience with a lovely view. There were several balconies along with theirs that jutted out from the tall walls of the theater. Severus and Seraphina sat on the two seats in their small balcony, giving them some private space, segregating them from the rest of the audience. A House-elf brought two glasses of wine for Severus and her, for which she thanked the little creature. After waiting for fifteen minutes, in which they talked freely with each other, the opera stared. The soothing music filled Seraphina’s ears, calming her mind, while the Potions Master watched the show very intently. Seraphina on the other hand leaned into her chair, placing her head on the relaxing back of it, feeling the music within every part of her body. 

" My father used to take me to a lot of operas. He loved them, " whispered the witch without looking at her partner. Severus didn't answer. He’d had no childhood experience to share with the girl who understood him the most. 

Neither of them uttered another syllable until the show came to an end, enjoying every bit of music lucidly. After the show, the House-elf escorted them to the big hall crowded with uncounted Wizards, vampires, werewolves and many mysterious creatures of the Wizarding world. As soon as Severus and Seraphina squeezed their way to the corner of the hall, the pair was approached by a voluptuous woman. 

" Merlin, Seraphina Barclay and Severus Snape ! " She squealed as she bowed to the pair. Seraphina reciprocated in respect, Severus on the other hand nodded. 

" It's an honor you bothered yourself with the dress I specially designed for you. But might I ask you why did you add this lace covering your splendid back, " she asked indicating towards Seraphina’s back. 

" Actually, I am not in the habit of wearing a dress with no back, Miss... " replied the Ravenclaw. 

" Oh, it's Ravenwood, " the bronzed woman said as she raised her wand, pointing it at the young witch, and with a flick of the staff, the lace on the back vanished as if it never existed. 

" I have heard you like things the authentic way, " she added. 

The hot air of the hall touched her cold back, sending chills down her spine. But soon her back accustomed to the air. After conversing for a while Ms. Ravenwood left. 

Mr. Jacob Griffiths, the Minister for Magic greeted them, and after a small conversation, he left the pair on their own. The couple treated themselves with Kebabs and salad before the handsome and melodious Typhius approached the pair. 

" Miss Barclay ! Ah I see you accepted my request. That's very sweet of you. Do I have the right to remark that you look breathtaking in this red silk? " commented the jet-black haired opera singer. 

" Thanks for the compliment, and this beautiful dress Mr. Typhius, “ she replied as scarlet dusted her cheeks. 

" Modest... As the Daily Prophet says you are, " he said. 

" Mr Snape, nice to see you after such a long time. I always wondered why you never accepted my invitation, " he continued, turning towards the man in black robes. 

" Sadly, I was never able to find the right partner to share my evening with, Mister Typhius. Thankfully, my quest has ended, " said the Professor cunningly. 

" Might I ask Miss Barclay for a dance? It would be my pleasure to teach her the vampire style of dancing, " suggested the vampire as he gave Seraphina his hand for her to take in acceptance. 

Seraphina was always curious to learn vampire-style dancing, but she wasn't sure how her date would react about it. 

" I suggest you should learn the dance, so we both can share one ourselves, " said Severus as he discerned her uncertainty. The young witch gave the vampire her hand, and the next moment she found herself on the dance floor with the tall blood-sucking creature standing only inches away from her. He took her right hand and placed it on his stone-hard chest and choreographed the back of the left hand to be placed on her lower waist. Fluidly, he slipped both his hand around her waist and pulled her against his hard frame. His ice-cold hands caressed her skin. Eventually, they started to swirl in a semi-circular manner. The dance form left no personal space in between the pair, and it felt more sensual to her than it appeared to others. 

" Forgive me, for I am ice cold. I can’t control it, but I have to comment that you are too cold for a human yourself, " said Typhius in a seductive manner. " I know you might be wondering why we vampires dance in such a passionate way, " he continued in the same seductive manner. 

" Because vampire clans always wanted to stand apart from the Wizarding community, and so this was a minor amendment you made in the dancing style the community followed,. " Replied Seraphina. 

After dancing for a while, Typhius escorted her back to Severus, who still stood at his place, like a gentleman. The Ravenclaw witch thanked the vampire for the dance, and he left his guest. 

After a heavy sigh the young witch spoke - 

" The dance was..." yet again she was at the loss of words. 

" Sensual, Miss Barclay. It appeared sensual, and I have to comment that my Cupid friend would have died to see us dance that way, " Severus completed for her. 

" Honestly, I have no idea what I should I comment about that, " said Seraphina blankly. 

" Dance with me?" asked the Potion’s Master as he held her hand and started escorting her to the dance floor. 

The young witch expected him to dance in the normal way, but as usual, the Professor had his own motives, as he held her the same way Typhius held her and pulled her close against him, eliminating the distance between them. Seraphina was pressed against her Professor's chest with both his slender hands placed on her slim waist, caressing her exposed skin. She surely would have felt awkward if the man dancing with her would have been anyone other than Batman, but his arms felt protective and comforting to her, so she didn't mind dancing that way with him.

" What are we supposed to call this ?" asked the adorable girl. 

Severus arched his eyebrows at her question. 

" I mean, what is this ? We both are out here on a very mesmerizing evening, what should we call this? " she added. 

" It's what a normal wizard calls a date, Miss Barclay, " said the young man, looking down at his dance partner. "Did I inform you that you look alluring in this dress? " he continued. 

The Ravenclaw witch didn't reply. Instead, she bowed her head out of shyness. 

Soon, they both strode off the dance floor, and Severus went to get a drink for them. While her partner was off, Seraphina's eyes scanned the horde of people from the richer section of the Wizarding world, all clad in lavish and exquisite robes. Eventually, her eyes fell upon a man with black hair, silver dusted a few strands of his raven locks. His pale skin aided in radiating the blackness of his hair. His face was carved out in a godlike way, giving him an extremely attractive look, and the crystalline blue of his eyes only served as icing on the cake. Although the man was very magnetic according to the standards set by society, Seraphina found herself not at all attracted to the man's enthralling beauty. Suddenly, Seraphina found herself being sucked into oblivion. Her raven eyes faded to crystalline blue, just like the man’s whom she was looking at. Soon, she was going through the handsome man's life. Eventually, her raven orbs restored to their original black as her date appeared with a glass of wine for her. 

" You look lost, Miss Barclay, " the deep, velvety voice tugged her out of the ocean of her thoughts. Swiftly, she turned to face the comparatively taller man. Her sudden motion caused her dress to swirl in a flowing manner, A stern look had come over her delicate face. 

" Professor Snape, please forgive me, for I have to excuse myself for a moment. I suspect something suspicious in the horde, and I am praying that I am wrong, " said Seraphina in a stern tone as she swirl away to leave. Her professor’s hand grabbed her arm, pulling her backward. 

" I have always appreciated your curiosity, but I prefer your eagerness for books and knowledge, " he whispered in her ears. " I suggest you should stay away from anything suspect. " 

" I am sorry, but I have to disagree here, Professor. Its not suspicion; I am sure about my suspect, and I would love to have your help with my plan. Please stay in my earshot, and if you view anything that might hurt anyone here, just hex the person I am going to approach, " directed the Ravenclaw as she dragged the young man along with her to the large window panes aligning the left side of the hall. She let go of his hand as an indication for him to halt, but she kept pacing towards the man who had captured her attention earlier.

"A very good evening, Mister..." the young witch started with a bow in the most seductive tone she could have achieved.

The tall man shifted his gaze from the view outside the window to the girl in red silk, who has just approached him. 

" Xayasith, it is, Miss Seraphina. " The reply came from the extremely handsome man as he gave her his hand. 

The young girl very zealously took his hand, and as she had expected, he raised the back of her hand to his lips and kissed it. 

" A gentleman ! Do I have the permission to admit that I always have a special liking for handsome gentleman like you? " blushed Seraphina as she took a step further. 

" My pleasure that a young witch who happens to be a Merlin awardee such as yourself is interested in a vampire who might be decades older than you. " Xayasith replied with the girl's hand still in his own. " I hope you won't mind dancing with me then ?" He added with a seductive smile as he escorted her to the dance floor.

The same routine of dance was followed by the pair, bodies pressed against each other. Xayasith's hands explored Seraphina's exposed back. The Ravenclaw felt gravely inappropriate, but she had assigned herself with something more important than her comfort. 

" Seeing your interest in a 120 year-old vampire, I suggest we should go somewhere which provides us with more privacy. " whispered the pale man as he leaned over Seraphina. 

The witch nodded in agreement and followed as he directing them towards an uninhabited hallway. Soon, as they were halfway inside the hallway, the young witch stopped walking, letting Xayasith ahead of her. She turned halfway to get a look at Professor Snape, who stood near the entrance of the hallway, pretending to attend the party, unsuspected by any passerby. 

" It's commendable how you fooled the world for more than ten years, Mr Xayasith, or should I address you by your birth name... Mr. Lucius Malfoy. " said Seraphina in a sharp tone. 

Lucius turned to face the girl, his blue eyes widened with disquietude, Quickly he stepped towards her, and in no time, Seraphina was pinned against the wall, her head banging against the cold wood by the former Death Eater - now vampire. 

" That's a very serious accusations, my dear lady, " he hissed in her ears, his demonic voice sending chills down the witch's spine. " And what made you think that I am who you say - Lucius Malfoy. " 

" Because you are not the Mr. Xayasith that you are pretending to be right now. Ten years ago you staged a family suicide for the world to believe that the Malfoy's preferred to die instead of spending their life in the filthy cells of Azkaban. The vampires promised you sanctuary in return for your family turning into vampires so that the blood sucking clan could flourish, but sadly your wife and 1 year old son couldn't survive the pain it caused, leaving you alone. You changed your appearance and luckily the Ministry wasn't able to track you " explained the young witch in mere whispers. 

" And what are you going to do with the controversial deduction you have come up with, Seraphina? " snapped Lucius as he banged his hands on both side of the witch. 

" Actually, a very nice idea has stuck me. How about we both go back to the dance floor, dance, then maybe you can ditch your partner, the great Severus Snape, for me, and then we both can spend this night together at my new mansion. I promise I will make this night worth not forgetting, You will remember me forever, my love, " hissed Malfoy as he leaned on Seraphina's exposed neck and caressed her skin with his thin lips. " Or this might be your last night as a witch, my dear. " 

The girl in red silk shivered badly at his caress, but what Lucius Malfoy didn't realized was that Seraphina was piercing her wand in his ribs, alarmed and defending herself. 

" I suggest a better plan, my dear Mr. Malfoy. I will use a spell on you that will wash off your disguise, and then I would love to escort you back to the main hall where the Minister for Magic is enjoying himself If you try to act smart, I shall inform you that I am not alone on this little adventure of mine. Now, I hope you will still be the gentleman you were a few moments ago, " said Seraphina in a hissing tone as Lucius stepped back, realization striking his Slytherin mind. The adept girl has taken his wand using their proximity as an ascendancy. A non-verbal spell from the Prefect caused Malfoy to look like he had appeared ten years prior, before the fall of the Dark Lord. As she had stated, Seraphina escorted Lucius Malfoy to the hall, her wand jabbing his torso. The platinum blonde hairs flowing down his shoulders as the crystalline blue eyes restored it’s original icy blue color. 

The merriment of the crowd dusted away at the sight of Lucius Malfoy with Seraphina Barclay. A horrified gasp left everyone's lips. Jacob Griffiths pushed his way towards the girl with a petrified look on his wrinkled face. Severus was on her heels as they approached Griffiths. The young Wizard whispered the whole thing to Griffiths as his date stood in front of him with a vampire. 

" Forgive me, Professor Snape, but, I couldn't have let a Death Eater roam around freely after he had committed such hideous crimes, " vocalized the young witch as she looked up at her Professor. 

" Merlin’s beard! I want you as an Auror in the Ministry this very instance, Seraphina Barclay. I don't mind you not completing your schooling, " exclaimed Griffiths as his face gleamed. 

" No offense, Minister, but - " Seraphina started but was cut of by a harsh pull from the vampire standing next to her. Malfoy had pulled the delicate figure of Seraphina against his stone hard frame. The sudden jerk caused the Aspen wand to fall from her hand. The young lady violently shrugged but the iron grip didn't let go of her. Malfoy's lips were caressing her neck, where he had kissed earlier.

He looked up at Batman. 

" It would be my pleasure to turn her into a vampire, " Lucius warned as his canines grew sharp. Soon, the serrated canines were buried into Seraphina’s fragile neck. She shrieked in pain, but bit her lips to suck herself into the dark, away from the pain. It only helped a little. 

at the sight of Lucius Malfoy with Seraphina Barclay. A horrified gasp left everyone's lips. Jacob Griffiths pushed his way towards the girl with a petrified look on his wrinkled face. Severus was on her heels as they approached Griffiths. The young Wizard whispered the whole thing to Griffiths as his date stood in front of him with a vampire. 

" Forgive me, Professor Snape, but, I couldn't have let a Death Eater roam around freely after he had committed such hideous crimes, " vocalized the young witch as she looked up at her Professor. 

" Merlin’s beard! I want you as an Auror in the Ministry this very instance, Seraphina Barclay. I don't mind you not completing your schooling, " exclaimed Griffiths as his face gleamed. 

" No offense, Minister, but - " Seraphina started but was cut of by a harsh pull from the vampire standing next to her. Malfoy had pulled the delicate figure of Seraphina against his stone hard frame. The sudden jerk caused the Aspen wand to fall from her hand. The young lady violently shrugged but the iron grip didn't let go of her. Malfoy's lips were caressing her neck, where he had kissed earlier.

He looked up at Batman. 

" It would be my pleasure to turn her into a vampire, " Lucius warned as his canines grew sharp. Soon, the serrated canines were buried into Seraphina’s fragile neck. She shrieked in pain, but bit her lips to suck herself into the dark, away from the pain. It only helped a little.


End file.
